Nerves and a New Year

Happy New Year and welcome to my blog! My name is Kaytin Taba and I will be studying in Nagoya at Nanzan University this semester. I'm fairly new to writing a blog, but I hope my blog can tell my journey of studying abroad and maybe help others who are or are considering doing it too. Everyone always talks about the excitement of going to study abroad but I don't think many people talk about the "impending sense of doom," which in my opinion, is the best way to put it. Don't get me wrong, I am very excited to study abroad especially in Japan and I technically shouldn't be as nervous as I am, being that Japan is the only other country that I have visited on multiple occasions. I would say compared to most students who study abroad, I have a good amount of knowledge of the country I'll be studying at and have also been to, but I've learned from the past week that no matter what, nerves will always be there.

I find it similar to the feeling of going to college for the first time, the fears of going and moving to a place you most likely have never been to and diving head first into a new environment, let alone living there. While I will be the same distance from home that my college is at, it's still nerve wracking to "move" to a new country that has an entirely new set of customs, culture, food (although I do love Japanese food), currency and language. I'm diving into a completely new world in just three days and that alone I will admit is freaking me out. New people, different classes, different universities and of course a different city and country; it's a lot, but I feel like I'm slowly navigating it. 

I'm sure my parents are sick of me saying how nervous I am over and over again but every time they always reassure me things will be ok. They're actually the ones who told me going to study abroad will probably most likely feel like going to college for the first time and how if I was able to navigate college (pretty well I would say), then I'll be able to navigate moving to and studying in Japan. This alone gave me a new way to look at studying abroad and to not focus on the bad what if's (what if I don't like it, what if I get lost, what if I can't figure things out, what if my Japanese doesn't get better) but instead of the possibilities and opportunities that will be waiting for me. 

But this isn't even what I'm the most nervous about anymore. It's packing. Yes, I am leaving in two days and I still haven't begun packing, very irresponsible, I know. But, I like to say that I pack best under pressure. I've spent the last week trying to create a list of things I need to pack but for some reason, I always feel like I'm missing something. I scoured the internet for any "study abroad packing lists" (TikTok is very helpful with this), looked at the IES Abroad packing list and even asked my friend who had just studied abroad this past semester for advice on what to pack. So far, I think I've made a good list of what to pack but that's not an issue anymore, the biggest issue is my overpacking. I am a notorious over packer, so from one over packer to another (if you are one) here are some tips I've learned for packing and that I'm keeping in mind for packing tonight. 

1. You will buy clothes wherever you go. You don't need 10 different going out tops or six different jackets. Pack basics that you know you will always use because they can be layered with other clothes to make cute outfits.
2. Bring 3 pairs of shoes, trust me you don't need more than three; one nice pair (could be for going out or just a pair you really like), one pair meant for walking (no matter where you're going, you will walk a TON) and one pair of comfy shoes (me personally, I'm bringing my slippers) Also, if you're going to Japan like me, Japan has many different places to get shoes like NewBalances, Onitsuka Tigers and more!
3. Don't pack so many decorations for your dorm room. You'll be in a new country and will get stuff there! Of course, bring a picture of home or your family but big posters or other decor? Leave it.

Overall, while I'm still navigating my nerves, excitement and the dreaded packing, I honestly can't wait to go and study abroad. I hope these tips and my perspective can help navigate your experiences. The next blog I post will be in Japan so we'll see soon how I navigated the initial shock of being in Japan. Happy New Year and thanks for reading!! :)