Life is a journey
Life is a journey. Five years ago, I would have said that this statement was little more than a cliche. My twelve-year-old eyes would have seen it on colorful coffee mugs, in brightly colored greeting cards, and in feel-good movies but never would have thought that it would apply to my life. Living in Japan proved to me that this statement isn't quite as a cliche as I once thought it to be. Each and every day of the two years I spent in the thriving Asian metropolis of Yokosuka, Japan, was an adventure. When I stepped outside the guarded gates of the Naval base, I was greeted by tall, thin, multicolored buildings; many Japanese people mingling with foreigners; indecipherable signs; and an oriental smell unique to Japan. I watched the Japanese people in their everyday lives. Very young, well-behaved school children rode on small scooters
We felt embarrassed that we had been loud and obnoxious; failing to respect the values of the country we were in. I began to appreciate that this world is made up of many different cultures, many different people, and many different ways of life. My friends and I were free to walk where we chose and our usually over-protective parents were never given a reason to worry about our safety. It's an entirely different thing to witness it first-hand and to feel the solitude of being a foreigner. while strangely-shaped, small, efficient cars sped by on narrow streets parallel to the main gate. The part of my journey where I would learn to understand what a diverse world we live in. We later discovered that, unlike on trains in the United States, the Japanese do not talk out of respect for others. Language differences were a huge barrier. As my friends and I struggled to stand still on the fast moving, strangely silent train we wondered why, in a train as crowded as this, we were the only people talking. I was, for the first time in my life, part of a minority and often struggled to overcome the difficulties I encountered in this situation. I recall viewing a brightly colored map that was neatly posted on the wall at a busy train station and being thankful that my two friends with me were able to interpret it. Living in Japan was an important part of my life's journey.
Common topics in this essay:
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