Tokyo and More!

There's one more week left here in Nagoya and I'm excited to come back home to America! I'm sad to have to start packing my things and saying goodbye to everyone but I'm hopeful that I'll be able to come back to Japan someday.

A few days ago, I went to Tokyo to meet with a childhood friend and a college friend! I didn't realize how many differences there were between Toyko and Nagoya! Tokyo Station is much bigger and busier than Nagoya Station however, using Google Maps is a big help when making your way around. It was also my first time riding the shinkansen by myself and buying tickets. I recommend buying the shinkansen tickets the day before as it saves you time before boarding. It was a little confusing at first on how to use the tickets as well since you're given two tickets per ride and in addition to that, you have to use your IC card. It took a few tries but I was able to figure it out! In Tokyo, there's so many different shops, cafes and restaurants to choose from, it was difficult deciding where to go! Tokyo alo has a lot of different areas to go to for different things which are super easy to reach by train. They're usually only a few minutes away from Tokyo station too! Some places include: Shinjuku, Harajuku, Shibuya, Akihabara, and many more. 

Additionally, I was able to join the track club at Nanzan and participate in practices together! Everyone was super friendly and encouraging and I met some of my good friends through the club! I highly recommend joining a club when studying abroad, although it was scary at first, I was able to have community around me and talk to some of the local people and branch out from the international students. The people on the team were also kind enough to meet up one last time so that I could get a picture with them! Not only that, but I was able to practice my Japanese speaking skills with them and they were able to practice their English speaking skills with me. The last few weeks I was unable to meet for practices due to being busy and travelling to other prefectures such as Tokyo and Shizuoka, and the team had met twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays. However, I'm glad that I was able to join and spend time with them. 

With my new friends, I was also able to go and eat at so many delicious restaurants! From pizza, to ice cream, to pasta, pancakes, and so much more! I look forward to eating these foods again when I come back to Japan!