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A room full of strangers. Alone in a new country over six thousand miles from home. I sat silent. For the first time, I felt small. The room grew dark as anxieties boiled over. Strangers gathered and talked in a language I only knew a few words in. Doubt began to fill my head. The sounds in the room were drifting out my mind. Traveling was never scary before, but suddenly I was alone, and I felt the weight of my decision to travel so far fall on me. Sleep deprivation began to take over and coupled with the overwhelming fear of failure began to take over. I felt outclassed by all who gathered around the table for the first day class. Groups for classes were made, books were distributed, and classes went to their classrooms. “What made you come to Japan?” “What do you do for work?” “Are you in school?” My schoolmates asked questions in English to my relief. Though I was unprepared, I learned so much about my schoolmates. We were from different countries, at different ages, and different places in life. I wanted to write and travel the world. I wanted to find my place in it. I wasn’t alone. Others did, too. The thirst for travel was strong in every person and their lives echoed my own. I adopted many younger siblings, and many referred to me as “older sister”. I thought the glandulous towers might seem daunting and the rigorous rules might seem stifling, but it wasn’t the case. The festivals were a beautiful display of culture, food, and entertainment. A newscaster invited some of us to be on a broadcast which was exciting and different. With every cultural activity experience, I could learn more and more about a culture so different from my own especially their ancient traditions. One early Saturday morning, I left extra early to get to the school for a weekend cultural activity. The building was quieter than usual, and it was suspicious. One pull on the door and I realized the reason for the absolute silence. Locked. I sat on the floor as I waited. A friendly cleaning woman came. She smiled and laughed with me as she understood my mistake. Every person I met, was incredibly friendly and helpful. Before long, our large group ventured to the train station together. We purchased tickets and rode the train to Otaru. The city was something from a dream. The winding brick roads were decorated with ornate homes and buildings on hills. Some were beautifully covered in vines, while some were hidden by trees. We were called by the sea and the canal where boats sailed casually on the calm waters. There were musical shops filled to the brim with music boxes and glass wind chimes, themed cafes, souvenir shops and museums. They all left us learning and churning for more. It was a great day in the sun, even if I was the only one who got sunburned. It was surrounded by love and friendship. I never anticipated meeting so many kindred spirits from all around the world. It was not only an educational experience for learning about Japanese language and culture, but an experience to learn about myself and others. It was unexpected and made the daunting solo trip far less terrifying. I had never traveled out of the United States so far and alone. The experience left me wanting more festivals, more cultural activities, more shopping, more interactions with locals, more everything. It was such an exciting and fun experience that I decided to go back again. Traveling is what I always dreamed of and I never expected to meet so many fantastic people. Taking the plunge was so different but brought so many memories and opportunities. It is something I will never forget and will always hold near and dear to my heart.