By james art While studying abroad in Nishinomiya, Japan, I had the opportunity to connect with people from different backgrounds. You might not realize it when you first go, but studying abroad means you’re not just interacting with American students—you’re meeting people from all over the world.
This experience really broadens your perspective from an American perspective to a global one. When I went to Japan, I was amazed at how my friend group became so diverse, bringing together a vibrant mix of cultures and perspectives.
When I first arrived in Japan, I was completely consumed by the thrill of being immersed in a world so different from what I knew. I had a group chat with other USAC students from America, so I assumed my only cultural experience would be with Japan. However, I was pleasantly surprised on the first day of orientation to meet fellow international students from various countries around the world, including Wales, Australia, England, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, Taiwan, China and even more.
During the program I became friends with many of these students and a small group of us became close friends. Our core group of friends consisted of students from Scotland, Sweden, Wales and America. I learned so much from all my friends about their countries, culture and everyday life. We all often went on weekend trips to go out or visit interesting places, and sometimes we said or did something that was normal to us but foreign to everyone else.
My Welsh friend always said British slang like “we’re moving” that I always had to ask what they meant and they were confused as to why I’d never heard it before.
Another time I was talking to my Scottish friend about interesting things about our countries and she asked me if I knew what their national animal was, but I had never thought about it so I had no idea. When she told me it was a unicorn I assumed she was joking and when I asked her to tell me the real animal she looked at me and told me she wasn’t joking and that the unicorn was the actual, official national animal of Scotland. I never thought that a country’s national animal could be made up, but this particular conversation allowed me to rethink the way I perceive other cultures and national history.
I even experienced surprises outside the program and its students. Me and a group of friends visited Arashiyama for a day trip and the streets were full of tourists as it was the most popular time for tourists to visit. We noticed that the crowd suddenly broke up towards the end of the road and decided to grab lunch at a small pizzeria at the end of the main street where there weren’t many people. We sat down on a few chairs to wait for our table to be ready and were seated by the owner of the restaurant who spoke fluent English. We spoke to him about his background and he told us that he had previously studied in Canada for two years. We talked for a while and learned that he is half Italian and opened the shop because he wanted to bring both of his cultures together. The pizza was some of the best I’ve ever had and it was very cheap.
My time studying abroad in Japan enhanced my experience at my home university, the University of Nevada, Reno, by allowing me to connect with peers from around the world, which broadened my cultural perspective and inspired me to become more deeply involved in global conversations. The diverse friendships I have made have enriched my social interactions and provided me with a more nuanced understanding of different cultures, which has positively impacted my academic pursuits.
I learned much more than I could have imagined from studying abroad. I owe it mostly to being surrounded by a culture completely different from my own, but also to being surrounded by so many different cultures from all over the world. I met so many wonderful people and still text and talk to them all the time. I gained a greater appreciation for the diversity of ways people live and think.
The friendships I made were a highlight of my time abroad, and I remain grateful for the enriching and enjoyable times we shared together.
About the author
As a senior set to graduate from the University of Nevada, Reno in May 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in international business, Morgan Ramos has cultivated a deep passion for learning about different cultures and languages. He has a motivation that is greatly enhanced by a transformative study abroad, where he immerses himself in new environments and perspectives.