Me and Japan go way back. Since I was about 9, I was super interested in anime. When I was younger, I did a lot of storytelling and was also an artist, and seeing the two come alive in anime was so interesting to me.
Through anime, I picked up on aspects of Japanese culture, noticing how people take their shoes off when they go to school and how they clean up their classrooms. I could tell it was a completely different culture from Philadelphia, where I grew up in a predominantly Black neighborhood.
It became a sort of gateway. I got deep into the history and architecture of Japan. In middle school, I started teaching myself Japanese, saving up my allowance to buy workbooks from Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
In high school, I got the opportunity to go abroad for a year. I had the traditional high-school experience in Japan, which made me want to come back for college, where I am now.
It has always been my dream to live in Japan, and I'm so glad I did it. But instances of racism and weak job prospects made me decide to move back to America.
I quickly realized I'd over-romanticized expat life in Japan
When I came to Japan for my high-school sophomore year in 2017, I realized I'd definitely over-romanticized it. I had this idea from how it was depicted in the media. The curriculum was very strict, and the school had a very traditional environment.
I thought my Japanese would hold up, but even after five years of studying, I wasn't able to communicate very effectively. I joined the volleyball team, and that's where I made my friends, but for the most part, I spent a lot of time alone.
