Blondies Good Bad and Ugly

Nothing screams independence like navigating your way to and through an airport in a foreign country. By yourself. A few years ago I would shake with nerves going into a grocery store alone, look at me now. 

After a few train rides and a late airport shuttle later, I found myself sitting in Osaka Itami airport patiently waiting for my flight to Okinawa to board. Okinawa is a Japanese prefecture that is home to over 150 islands. It’s also the home to my long distance bestie, Nano. 

Nano and I met when we were just 17. She started her high school exchange program back in 2019, and was somehow lucky enough to end up at my little ole country high school in the middle of Texas. We quickly hit it off and soon enough she was spending all her free time with me and my friends. However, because of the crazy year that 2020 was, Nano had to fly home two months early. Because of this, she missed out on graduation and all the senior year plans our friend group had made. 

After high school I had no idea when I’d see her again. But, fast forward to 2024, my own study abroad experience has changed that. For my first free weekend, she flew to Tokyo and we did some sightseeing. We fell back into step with each other so quickly, it was like nothing had changed. Which is why I’m so excited to finally be seeing her home for the first time. It’s a very full circle moment. She came to my home and I got to show her around there. Now, I am going to her home where she’ll get to show me around. 

I got lost in my book no sooner than when we took off, so the flight seemed quicker than two and a half hours. After I grabbed my backpack from baggage claim I met Nano at the doors and we headed out. Her grandmother was so excited to meet me. She doesn’t speak English at all but she would say things to Nano and have her translate it back to me. One of the first things being “she’s tall” and “tell her we’ll cook for her and have dinner to thank her”. 

Nano says I completely changed her experience as a foreign exchange student. But, the truth is, she also completely changed my outlook on life. If I had never met Nano, I would not have found myself studying in Japan four years later. It takes real bravery and independence to travel across the world as a teenager in hopes of furthering your education. As a young woman, she exemplified courage in a way that I had never seen before. A courage I think I have found in myself today.

I have two more days here in Okinawa and I plan to squeeze every second of tropical island paradise into them. I want to try all the things, see all the beaches, and visit all the spots Nano loves. 

I’ll have more detailed updates of my study abroad soon. Thanks for reading!!