On September 24th, I was able to go see the Sailor Moon Museum in Roppongi! When I was a child, I fell in love with Sailor Moon due to the transformation sequences, the characters’ personalities, and the story itself. It’s one of the series that I would credit for helping me grow into the person I am today, as I grew attached to the characters throughout the course of the series. Going to the museum was like stepping back into my past and reliving the most magical moments of my childhood.

As I mentioned in my first post since arriving at St. Catherine’s, I have described the academic life here as academic boot camp. Halfway through my second academic week here at St. Catherine’s, I would say this holds true. I would also say that I am slowly adjusting to this new kind of academic work.

People talk a lot about homesickness while studying abroad. I was warned about missing the familiarity of home, or little things from home like food or brands. I was also warned about the stages of culture shock; that I would have a period of euphoria, then struggle for a while dealing with my new environment. Honestly, I haven’t struggled much being in a new, unfamiliar place—my bigger challenge has been forming an entirely new social circle. 

The first time I went grocery shopping in Buenos Aires I left the supermarket after 45 minutes with a bag of spinach, half a baguette, and a tub of hummus. I spent the next week dipping my bread in the hummus and eating dry salads for lunch. In the first few weeks, walking into an entirely unfamiliar store, in an entirely unfamiliar city, filled with foods labeled in a language I barely understood, felt like a nearly impossible task.