Life Lesson from Abroad: Your Greatest Fear Carries Your Greatest Growth

Hi, everyone! My name is Clarissa Krisnawan. I am currently going to be a senior this upcoming autumn quarter at the university of Washington, Seattle studying business, specifically finance. Before I start talking about my life lesson that I got from my recent study abroad in Japan this summer, I want to talk about what makes me want to go study abroad and why Japan?

There are four reasons of why I decided to go study abroad. Most of these reasons are related to my personal interest, but there is one reason that is related to the success of my education. The first reason that made me want to take the opportunity of studying abroad is I am a member of the Certificate of International Studies in Business (CISB) Program at Foster School of Business. For those of you who doesn't know about the CISB Program, before you become a member, this program asks you to choose one foreign language track that you wish to study on, and in my case, I chose Japanese track. In order to be able to complete the CISB Program, I have to pass certain business classes, take at least three years of Japanese classes , and also study abroad and stay in Japan for at least ten weeks. The second reason of my study abroad is because from a young age, I enjoyed learning foreign languages and exploring other countries' cultures that are different from my own, in particular the Japanese culture, such as the kimono culture, tea ceremony, ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement), etc. The third reason is I love watching Japanese anime and reading manga. Finally, the fourth reason is because after I graduate I really want to work in Japan. I think studying abroad is the key starting point that can help me achieve this goal because by studying abroad I can start building connections with local Japanese people.

I was in Japan for roughly 2 months. While I was in Japan, I studied at Hokkaido International Foundation (HIF) located in Hakodate city in Hokkaido, Japan. Although the university level intensive courses offered by HIF are highly demanding and becomes a challenge, my greatest fear out of this 2 months experience is not because of the rigorous curriculum itself. My greatest fear from this study abroad are doing homestay and going to school in a foreign country. This might sound weird to some of you, but considering that I am the type of person who is afraid to be far away from family and a person who is quiet and shy, studying abroad is a fearful, yet rewarding step that I'm willing to take. Since this is my very first study abroad experience, there are a lot of things that I did for the first time during my study abroad and for me, first time event is always scary and feels uncomfortable. These uncomfortable experience that I did while I studied abroad include: competing in a speech contest, be the class representative to ask questions to the mayor of Hakodate during our mayor visit, abiding in the "Nihongo Dake Rule" ("Japanese Only Rule") in school and at home to name just a few.

Before I departed to Japan, I was still thinking about whether I am really ready to face the challenges of school activities, as well as doing a homestay in Japan for 2 months over and over again. However, as time passes, after 2 weeks I joined HIF, I realized I made the right decision to study abroad at HIF. I also realized that doing a homestay in Japan is really fun! In fact, thanks to both the HIF community and my host family, I was able to practice and improve my Japanese skills in all areas (e.g. communication, writing, listening). I was also able to learn more about the Japanese culture and what Japanese family do daily. Because of my host family I can also explore the beauty of Hakodate City. One of my recommended places to go if you ever get a chance to go to Hakodate is Mt. Hakodate. The night-view from the top of Mt. Hakodate is one of the best scenery you can find. Due to the friendly and welcoming atmosphere that my host family provided, I was able to change my fear into great joy. During my stay of 2 months with my host family, I feel at home, but actually away from home. Now, I think of my host family as my second family. Next time, when I go to Japan, I definitely have to visit them.

So, One important life lesson that I got from this summer is to never be afraid to try doing new things and be out of your comfort zone. Because in times when you decided to try new things and feels uncomfortable, that are actually times when you will be able to discover your new potentials and these times will also help shape you to become a better person. My study abroad experience tells me that I can become more independent and it ignites my desire to become more involved in the community I live in. My belief is that from your struggles and fearful experience, comes new way of thinking. New experiences often is accompanied with fear, and overcoming that fear is the key to growth.

This summer I went on a journey where I transform my greatest fear into countless unforgettable memories and have the greatest growth.