Jumping the Language Hurdle

I did not realize I would be immersed in a completely different language until I stepped off the plane and couldn't read the signs. My Japanese was next to none, and reading it was simply out of the question. I believed I was going to be completely on my own in Japan, and that no one was going to help me. I was afraid my host parents would not be able to understand me, or that I would get lost a dozen times over.

That could not have been farther from the case. YFU had prepared me to overcome the initial culture shock of language and customs with a pre-departure orientation in Berkeley, California, arming me with the tools and knowledge I needed to get through my first few days in Japan. All other words and customs I soon learned from my host family. YFU does an amazing job finding a host family perfect for you so that you can not only learn from them, but they learn from you.

The initial fear of the language barrier became less of an obstacle, and more of a small hurdle that I was determined to clear. Once I told myself this, communication was easy. I began to socialize more, and I wasn't afraid to speak Japanese (although it was extremely limited).

If it wasn't for YFU, I would not have been able to get out of my comfort zone and made so many great friends.