Arigatou Gozaimasu
I barely knew anyone at the beginning of this trip with the UM to Fukushima group from the University of Montana. Sure, I’d spent the last semester in class with them, preparing for this adventure, but ...
Honestly, I always considered myself a bit of a lone wolf. I wasn’t going to get close to these 13 fellow students over the three weeks we worked and traveled in Japan. I’ve always thought making new friends was an exhausting practice.
Opening up to strangers, letting them know your passion, your dreams, your weaknesses; it’s a terrifying thing to do. I knew I wasn’t going to get close to anyone on this trip. I was going to report, write a story or two and be done with it.
There was one guy on this trip, Ryan Wozniak. I had no interest in getting to know him because I have a heart the size of the Grinch’s.
But one day, when we were in Tokyo, Ryan and I craved McDonald’s. No, that’s not right, we needed McDonald’s. We split away from the group and went to grab some Japanese Big Macs. We had some small talk, mostly about burgers.
“My love of burgers is all he will know about me,” I thought to myself.
We finished our burgers and we started walking back to the hostel. We were halfway there and an older woman named Keiko pulled us aside and started speaking to us in Japanese. We were nervously just nodding and saying, “Yes,” having no idea what she was actually saying.
Keiko got excited at our affirmation. She guided us into the Buddhist temple behind her. We followed because life's too short to say no to a kind old woman. She took us into a large room, gave us beads and a prayer book.
Keiko pointed at the book and told us to chant: “Myo ho ren ge kyo. Ho-ben-pon. Dai ni.”
Ryan, Keiko and I started chanting. We were reading the English translation out of the book along with Keiko as she chanted. At this point I started giggling. It was such a bizarre experience, with a person I didn’t want to get close to. We were sharing a moment that only we would understand.
It was at that moment I realized I needed to start embracing the people who would share these weird, beautiful experiences with me.
This is less of a wrap-up for the group and more of a thank you. A thank you to these strangers who were willing to travel into the no-go zone. A thank you to the people who weaved through crowds with me at the Sanja Matsuri festival. A thank you to the people who sing “Kokomo” with me at karaoke. A thank you for experiencing the weird, beautiful moments with me. Thank you for not being strangers anymore.
Ryan Wozniak is spending a couple of days in Japan to explore Toyo University, the school he will be attending in the fall.
Zachariah Bryan will be staying in Japan and traveling with his wife.
Katy Spence is going to Yamakiya to work on her master’s project.
Rehana Asmi and Parker Seibold are traveling to Thailand for a much needed vacation.
Rene Sanchez is adventuring to Kyoto.
Sydney MacDonald, Tate Samata, Andrea Bruce and Samantha Queenan are going back to the United States.
Jack Ginsburg and I are going to Disneyland.
Jana Wiegand is headed back to where we began our journey, in Asakusa.