Grateful Pause, Grateful Perspective

Today was a whirlwind of experiences and emotions, and passed way too quickly. Having

completed our official reporting duties and action plans, the mood was visibly lighter, as we

prepared for a day geared more towards relaxation and touristy exploration than previous days.

After taking our last official picture for the Tomodachi Inouye program, we loaded onto the bus and headed to Shibuya Sky, an area famous for its panoramic views and shopping mall. The first hour was a bit frantic, as we were given free time to explore the many amenities of the area. Wandering through the stores with friends both old and new, we experienced the aspects of Japan I had seen on social media, the first perception of Japan I had. Even as we shopped, I remember being grateful that we had been able to see so many other sides first. I believe if I had come here on my own, I would’ve missed a large part of what makes Japan what it is, the culture and people lost as I consumed from an American viewpoint only. I greatly appreciated being able to see both sides, and that our trip was able to encompass both a tourist and cultural exchange aspect.

We then had a light lunch, our last meal in Japan, before continuing on in our adventure. After continuing shopping for a bit, some of my new friends and I decided to visit a cafe we found, complete with cat foam latte art. As we sipped on our drinks and laughed about the number of random coins we had left, I was struck by the difference I saw in all of us from the beginning of. the trip. We started timid and shy, and had grown together in our experiences to the point where three people who knew nothing about each other before could comfortably talk like old friends. Even at this moment when we were given time to shop, many of us chose a community in the shelter of cafes rather than the frantic shopping we had participated in even earlier that day.

During the trip I had grown to respect everyone in the cohort as colleagues, students, and finally, friends. The bond our whole cohort formed with each other in such a short span of time is nothing short of amazing, and I’m excited to see what continues from this in the future.