I am not invincible. Envision this: you hop onto your second to last train home; it’s pretty busy, so you and your friends have to stand. No big deal; you do it all the time. However, while you are standing, suddenly your vision goes black. Next thing you know, you are on the train floor looking up at the many little school children staring. They yell out, “Daijoubu?” “daijobu?” as you begin to get your bearings, you understand they are asking if you are okay. Not wanting to make a fuss, you stumble onto your feet, let the kids know you are fine, and thank them for their concerns. Someone jumps out of their seat for you to sit down, so you do while feeling slightly mortified and very confused. Your friends say you look like a ghost, and before you can reply, the train stops at your next station. You get yourself up and get off onto the platform. But as you walk further, your vision goes again, and suddenly, you wake up on the ground again, but with a friend holding you up. One friend stays with you, another runs to get you water, and the most fluent in Japanese goes to get help. A train officer arrives with a wheelchair, and your friends help you get on. Now you are being whisked around Tokyo’s second busiest train station, having no idea what is happening.
However, in hindsight, what had happened to me that day was obvious. I did not look after myself. See, you only have the story for the second half of the day. The first half involved my friends and I doing a full-day adventure around Tokyo collecting train station stamps. A very long and exhausting day and the only thing I had was a single iced coffee. This experience was honestly scary. However, I am grateful for it. Fainting back-to-back was the wake-up call for me that I am not invincible. That day, I should have had a proper meal, drank lots of water, and given myself breaks. Now, I have become very aware of caring for myself and looking out for my friends. For every outing with my friends, I have become the food and water police. This experience also made me so grateful for my friends, whom I had just met, who did not think twice to try and do everything they could at that train station.
Exchanges are incredibly fun but can also be taxing mentally and physically, meaning it is essential to be kind to yourself. But also, do not let these moments set you back. Although I became pretty shaken up afterward, I swore to continue to make the most of my exchange. I am only twenty and living in Japan with these people once, and I will make the most of it. But this time while checking up on myself and others to maximise the good times and minimise avoidable mishaps like this one.
Additionally, here are some of my top exchange tips here in Japan!
Always have something planned: My friends and I made a rule to always have something planned on the weekend. This could be as little as going to a TikTok viral cafe or as big as a day trip to Disneyland. Having plans motivates me to complete all my university work on the weekdays and means I will leave this exchange with an array of memories. See below a handful of weekend activites we have done so far!
Make your room your own: It will likely feel small and bland when you first move it, so bring many photos of family, friends, and pets to feel at home! Personal decorations go a long way when you are trying to fight off homesickness.
Bring gifts from home: Gift exchange is very valued in Japan; I have brought many New Zealand magnets, keychains, and postcards to give to my teachers at the end of the year! You never know when you will want to show some appreciation to someone while on this adventure.
Make meals social: It is so easy to eat alone in your room with nothing but a computer screen to keep you company. My friends and I aim to eat lunch and dinner together, and I look forward to it every day. A definite mood booster!
Get to class early: Most universities in Japan place high importance on attendance, making it either mandatory or a very high percentage of your grade, so avoid the stress of rushing through the already chaotic train stations and give yourself plenty of time to get there. A nice walk around the campus before class will clear your head too!
Get involved in class: You will only be in these classes with students and teachers once, right? So make the most of it. If you try to ask and answer questions and enjoy class discussions, you will get the most out of your exchange.
