Amanda

Last summer I spent 2 months in Tokyo, Japan. At first, I didn't manage my time at all. I missed my friends and was unable to meet people. I felt intimidated by the big city and didn't venture far from home. Then I began to leave the apartment and go for longer and longer walks of exploration. And finally I met one person who connected me with many other good friends and the rest is history... It was a unforgettable experience. I met wonderful people and made good friends that I still keep in touch with. I even made a little money tutoring kids in english. I wanted to be out in the city just to be part of the liveliness- just to walk the streets, ride the subway, see somewhere unfamiliar. I felt cooped up in the apartment and I just wanted to be out in the world. There was an adventure waiting for me everytime I left the apartment- whether to take a walk, get coffee, go shopping, to meet friends, etc.- every day had something beautiful in store for me. The city is full of so much life. It's like nowhere I've ever been before. Getting on a subway and across town was, at first, intimidating. Such a simple task of getting myself where I wanted to go on my own made me feel good. Everything there made me smile- clear umbrellas, sidewalk shops selling fresh flowers, feeling safe walking alone, hearing different languages that I couldn't even identify, purikura, just everything. Looking back my only regrets are not living it up even more: I could have been more efficient with my time, met more people, made more money, seen more of the city.

So now as summer rolls around again and my apartment lease is ending as is the school semester I'm considering going back to Tokyo for a bit... I'm only young once.

If you've been to or live in Tokyo please send me a message, I'd love to talk. We can share tips for life in Tokyo. While there, I worked (only a little) tutoring kids in english and I'm considering childcare, dog walking, or something of the sort to make some money. My expenses while there are low. And I'm considering continuing university while I'm there but it seems schools in Tokyo are rather expensive, and I wouldn't really be considered an exchange student since I'm living there on my own.I speak only English.