My First Few Hours In Japan

It turns out that I do have an Internet connection from the hotel, so I am able to update my blog. I was overwhelmed upon arrival today, mostly from fatigue. I awoke at 3:45 A.M. on Monday morning and arrived in Japan on Tuesday afternoon. However, it was also heart-warming to be back in Japan after three years. I feel more confident in my language skills than compared with the last visit I made to Japan now that I have studied Japanese for two years. On the other hand, every time I anticipate the difficulties I will encounter while trying to obtain a high level of fluency, I wonder to myself whether or not this is really doable. I feel as though my goal to learn Japanese is one of the most difficult I have ever set for myself. I dug through my memory trying to come up with a goal to which I devoted a similar amount of time and energy, and the most I could come up with was learning violin in high school. But as I'm typing this, I remember that learning Japanese is fun for me, and it's a hobby, not a chore. I hope that thought will drive my motivation to study.

Kobe is warm and humid at this time of year, and I feel that Kobe has a homier vibe and is easier to navigate than Tokyo. I enjoyed a solo dinner tonight, my first dinner during this study abroad experience. As I sat on the pier munching onigiri (rice triangles wrapped in seaweed and filled with fish or vegetable), I gazed up at the light of the Kobe Port Tower and listened to the steady taiko drum beat coming from the building next door, eagerly anticipating all the wonderful experiences in store for me this year!