We want to share stories of living and working abroad from our Beyond Academy team members.
So here’s what Katheryn, our Learning & Development Coach, has to say about her experience in Japan:
Where did you go for your first living abroad experience? Why?
My first experience of living abroad was when I moved to Japan for university. It was a total whim.
I knew for sure that I wanted to study abroad so I applied to schools in the United States that had a strong study abroad experience. My mother is Japanese and she told me in passing that there is a university in Tokyo that has an international program where I could do my entire undergraduate degree abroad instead of just a 1-year program.
I applied to the school without really thinking it would happen, but when I got the acceptance letter it changed everything for me.
How did you make it happen?
It’s a funny story… I only heard about this Japanese university about a week before the application deadline. A couple of days before it was due, I asked my parents for a check to pay for the application fee.
They were so confused because I hadn’t known that you can’t pay for a Japanese application fee with a US check so we had to figure out at the last minute how to make an international wire transfer that would meet the deadline.
My sister was working in New York City at the time and through a blizzard, she visited 5 different Japanese banks to see if they could help and unfortunately there was no way.
So, we had to call my grandfather in Japan and he sent my aunt to the bank to make the transfer for the application fee. It was an international, family ordeal!
How did you feel the first week you were there?
I felt so alive when I first moved to Japan. Every little thing was interesting, be it the electronic toilets or shopping for foods at the grocery store. It’s like all of your senses are activated because you’re noticing things that are different about your environment that you hadn’t thought of before in your hometown.
I had visited Japan many times before to see family, but living there was an entirely different experience when figuring out how to complete my errands and manage my lifestyle.
There were challenges in that figuring out how to do things took time, but the experiences themselves gave me a sense of accomplishment.
What was your biggest struggle and how did you overcome it?
I’d say that my biggest struggle was seeing friends leave Japan.
I made friends with exchange students or professionals who were contracted to be in Japan for 1-2 years, so every year I’d have to go to someone’s farewell party. And each time someone left, it made me question whether or not I should stay in Japan or go on another adventure.
I overcame this challenge by finding local communities of Japan residents and have been able to build great relationships with people who have no plans to leave the country, which has enhanced my experience here even more.
What were the top 3 things you learned about yourself through living in another culture?
1) You never know until you try. Living in another culture has given me a lot of confidence to try new things out of curiosity without worrying about the outcome.
2) Oddly enough, I feel like by living in Japan, I was able to learn what it means to be an American. Being in another culture helps you question your own behaviors, thought processes, and values.
3) I learned so much about healthy living in Japan, especially through how they eat seasonally and the wonderful culture around taking hot baths in hot springs. I even lost 20kg! It taught me how to trust my body and that taking care of myself can be enjoyable and rewarding.
How has your experience abroad impacted your career?
It’s had a huge impact on my career! I educate people on how to live and work in Japan and even in my early days of interning and working, things like translation or bridging cultural gaps has been a big part of my work.
If you could go to any of the current program locations, where would you go to, and why?
This is such a tough one!
I think I would have to go to Amsterdam because I really like the Dutch lifestyle and hear such wonderful things about art and culture in the city.
Also, from a cultural perspective, it’s one of the most opposites to Japan in terms of communication styles and processes so I’d love the opportunity to learn more about how Dutch people put those thoughts into practice.
Ready to have a transforming experience like Katheryn’s? We offer 18 industries across 14 international destinations. So if you’d like to find out more, contact us now and begin planning your Beyond adventure!
