On the way to acceptance

By Reika

When I go abroad, I always feel emotions rather than usual in Japan. I tend to think too deep and too much, but these feelings make my inner strength stronger and make me have more confidence to challenge anything that I’ve ever done before. In the beginning of the MFWI program, I learned there are four stages of adjustment: honeymoon, culture shock, acceptance and integration. Learning to live in a new culture is tough; however, that will make people grow stronger mentally.
The very first stage of adjustment is honeymoon. In that time, people feel very excited about their new home. I think I’ve already passed exciting honeymoon time because I got used to staying and living in MFWI. Thanks for nice teachers, staff and RAs, I easily got used to living a new life. The exciting time had gone so quickly for me, like in the beginning couple of weeks and soon I stood on the next path.

I think I’m still walking on the path of culture shock. When people feel culture shock, people tend to be homesick, angry, or depressed. My culture shock started at the end of February. It’s because I started to think about my brother who lives in Canada. He’s studied in Canada since this January, and it’s his first time to study abroad for a whole year by himself. Actually, I’m not the only person who is worried about him, but also my parents, my aunt and my cousins. Anyway, I’ve got some chances to talk with him via Skype, so I’m thinking that I will go out of culture shock, and begin to move to next stage. However, now, I face one big decision in my life; whether I’ll join extension program or not. That thinking has given me a chance to think about the reason why I’m learning English, and why I’m living in America. I need to chew the cud more, and have to make the best decision for my future.

If I make the decision, I think I will be able to move the next stage of acceptance. When people feel acceptance, they begin to feel “at home” in their new home. I hope I will move on this stage before I go back to Japan, because there is one more stage ahead, integration. On this stage, people feel natural to live in a new environment. Generally, it talks more than one year to reach integration, but most people take even longer. I don’t think I will go to that stage in this semester, but if I join the extension program, hopefully I feel that kind of natural feeling.

Now, I’m on the culture shock stage; however, I know the feeling that I’m feeling now is normal, and it will go away in the near future. It’s important for me to take it easy and be more relaxed to living in a new environment. Honeymoon, culture shock, acceptance and integration, there are four big stages to live in a new culture. Those are sometimes hard and depressing, but if you know the fact that those feelings are natural, and then I’m sure people will move to the next stage in the near future. Just believe in yourself and have fun!