Thursday, April 16, 2009
I had never been to the U.S. until I came here to attend the University. “Come back home if you don’t like America,” my parents told me when I left Japan. I had no idea what my life in Lawrence would be like, and I was really counting on their words.
I knew my college life would be great as soon as I arrived in town. The view from Mount Oread stunned me. On my way from campus to downtown, a teenage boy passing by said, “Have a nice weekend!” I was pleasantly surprised. No stranger ever said “hi” to me when I lived in Tokyo.
Although I have enjoyed my time at the University, with one month left until my graduation, I feel excited about moving to a new place. I haven’t found a job yet, but my quest for relocation motivates me to try harder at job searching. I applied for internships at many different locations, including Los Angeles, Oakland, New York, Washington, D.C., Shanghai and Sydney.
Many students I know at the University, however, choose to stay in Kansas or the Midwest after graduation. Many of them hesitate about leaving the place where they grew up and living away from their family and friends. But my experience has taught me that starting a new life in an unfamiliar place is not as hard as many people think.
Because of my father’s job, I lived in several places during my childhood, including Saga (in southwest Japan), Tokyo and Shanghai. This experience didn’t change my shy personality, but rather taught me how to adapt to a new environment quickly.
Among my relocating experiences, living in Shanghai was the most challenging. Many customs and manners that I took for granted, such as the way people spoke and waited in line, were not accepted there.
At first, I felt frustrated by those differences. But it’s funny: people are less apt to reach out to you when you’re holding negative feelings. I started to make more friends when I accepted the way it was in Shanghai and tried to like it there.
Because of my previous experience, the relocation to Lawrence was relatively easy for me. As long as you keep a positive attitude, you’re more likely to enjoy the new environment and make friends. Some people may argue that you cannot build a deep friendship in that way, but I disagree. You can always keep in touch with old friends through Facebook, Skype or Twitter. In fact, visiting friends is always a good excuse for me to go home or travel to other places.
If you’re struggling with job searching, adding relocation to your options may increase your chances of getting a job. It can also benefit your life in the long run.
Living in three countries — Japan, the U.S. and China — gave me different perspectives on my way of life, and allowed me to connect with a variety of people. If you hesitate about relocation, focus on what you will gain from the experience, rather than what you may miss.
— Miyakawa is a Tokyo senior in journalism.
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Comments
Miyakawa: Students should consider relocation after graduation
If I wasn't so terrified of learning a new language, I'd do that in a second.
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