I really don’t know what to say. My time in Japan has been…. Nothing short of life-changing. Many emotions are coursing through my mind right now.
I honestly feel so foolish. Initially, before I came to Japan, I was so proud when I think back to it. I was learning on the side of not even going, since there was no way it was worth the price tag. I thought, “Eh, I should probably go to this international rocketry competition that I need to be at since I run the mission control and thus launch the rocket.” However, a little voice told me that it would be very valuable, and oh so right it was.
I feel a twinge of melancholy. I mean, c’mon now. This was so magical. Truly. Now, I have left Tokyo and back to little old America. I mean, I literally got sad when I walked into SFO airport since it was so… bland… non-accessible… and has zero accommodation for foreigners. All the Japanese beauty and accessibility were gone. I met so many amazing people in Japan. I met my father’s close friend, a CEO business superstar who showed me kindness beyond what I genuinely thought was possible to exist nowadays. He took me all over western Japan and took me out to dinner with his lovely wife. I even got to meet the most beautiful Japanese girl I’ve ever had the honor to meet and got a lovely tour of her university. She then showed me a great kindness by taking me out to dinner and then going on a little ice cream hunt afterwards. I even miss the bidets and how clean/ efficient everything was in Japan!!
However, I feel… accomplished. Here in Japan, I did many different projects that were extremely high-level and had a high impact. Whereas it was amazing to learn so much practical stuff with Arduino and reading electronics that will forever serve me well in my job and clubs, it’s that high impact that makes it more satisfying to me. It is still surreal that I got to design a prototype and test it on the world’s busiest crossing, tracking people’s emotions and brightening their day. It was incredible to research very Japanese-specific things in engineering and robotics, like the robot cafes and the various machinery and appliances around the city. It was certainly downright incredible how I was able to build an ENTIRE ROBOT in a foreign country with limited tools and parts. This new style of prototyping, a now diversified idea generation method, and the courage I got from all this is quite invaluable.
There were some things I have yet to accomplish, like doing a tea service, dressing in a Kimono, hiking Fuji, seeing all of Kyoto, seeing Okinawa, seeing the Japanese launch pads, and seeing northern Japan, but I am sure I will be able to do all that in the future. This program kept me busy for sure, both in classwork, projects, homework, class sightseeing, and personal adventures, but it still changed my life. It certainly opened my eyes to what is really happening out there in the world and how innovative the world’s solutions are and how technologically advanced countries are than meets the isolated American eye. I came back with new relationships, connections, experiences, and most importantly, ideas.
I don’t know when… I may not know how… but I will be back in Japan. I know it. Perhaps study abroad or go to see my dad’s friend again, or that girl. I will be back to see even more.
