As All Good Things Do

When I was young, I always had fantasies of living abroad. I didn’t have a checklist but I feel like I ticked off every memorable firsts and lived scenes I had only imagined as a child in this trip. As the exchange program came to a close, I couldn’t help but ponder and be grateful for what had materialized in the past week. I saw Japan for the first time, immersed myself into their culture, experienced their school life, saw a great deal of beautiful places, and most importantly, made life-long friends. Everything happened so quickly and it’s almost difficult to take in and appreciate every small thing that happened. The overwhelming experience came in a whirlwind, and just as quickly, it is slated to come to a close. My sentimental self always finds it hard to say goodbye, especially when the people you’ll miss most are oceans away.

Earlier in the week, I bought parting gifts for my female classmates whom I bonded most with and who introduced me to all sorts of Japanese snack. I almost cried when I gave it to them because I’m such a sucker for goodbyes and they’ve been so kind to me all along. They weren’t able to go to the Farewell Party because of their club activities but they surprised Johanna and me by dropping by and giving us more Japanese snacks to take home.

The farewell party that afternoon was surprisingly filled with laughter. After individually receiving our diploma, we engaged in a fun round of musical chairs and dynamite ball. We were having so much fun that for a moment we forgot the sadness that this last day entailed. After the game, we formally gave our thanks to NITAC and individually said our goodbyes to our new friends. My friend Mao gave me a letter and my Civil Engineering classmates led us to a bitter-sweet surprise. One of my classmates gave me a copy of my name hand-written in Japanese, another gave me a bag full of snacks (they seem to know what greatest weakness was!), and another gave me a touching letter that, as instructed, I was only able to read when I got back in the Philippines.

I will be ever so grateful for the kindness shown to me by my Japanese classmates and friends. I will never forget how easy they made it for me to settle in a foreign country and how they welcomed us with open arms. If there was any doubt if this Japan trip was worth it, there certainly wasn’t any when the time to leave came. The number of things I learned and loved cannot be equated with anything I could have asked in exchange.