When spring break rolls around most college students plan to vacation somewhere hot. A place where they can party and forget the struggle which is college for a week.
BUT NOT ME.
Last year, I found myself stepping off a plane, halfway across the world in Osaka, Japan. Not only was it cold, but it was raining with a chance of snow. I wasn't surrounded by my best friends, but instead classmates whom I barely knew. I just landed and I was already beginning to regret my decision. As we trudged to the hotel I kept thinking about all the money I spent on this on this trip. So, once we got to the hotel I decided I needed to let off some stress so I did what I always do to eliminate my stress-eat and sing.
A group of us went to karaoke after eating some authentic Japanese food. That night I went to bed wondering what Japan would offer over the course of the next week. Oh and I forgot to mention, not only was I spending spring break not partying in somewhere warm, but I was "working."
I went to Japan for a peace study and would be spending the majority of my time in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Words cannot describe the life-changing experience that was before me. Throughout my entire life living in the United States, I felt as though I was a victim. Being a minority, from a single-parent home, in the "hood", I thought the world had wronged me. But after listening to these people's experiences, I realized how blessed I was in life. I went to a number of museums, countless memorials, and heard firsthand testimonies of victims. I met with a mayor who was determined to change the world and create peace across the globe. I was most touched when I saw the children killed in the bombings, which solidified the fact that I want to spend my life educating children.
To sum it all up, my trip to Japan taught me that life is a blessing, that everything in life is temporary, and we should be thankful for every experience. Basically what I'm saying is this trip to Japan was MOST definitely worth the money.