TOKYO—I studied in Japan this summer thinking I’d learn something about culture and history. I ended up discovering the power and possibilities of leaning into discomfort.
Of course, studying abroad gave me the opportunity to see parts of the world I had never been to, meet new people and create memories that will last a lifetime.
But Japan has much more to offer than beautiful scenery, temples and rich culture. While I was grateful to experience these treasures, Japan also taught me a lesson I will never forget.
Within my first week abroad, I realized that it is not uncommon to see people do things alone in Japan.
As a woman growing up in America, I was told to do the exact opposite. I grew up on a steady litany of warnings about of the dangers of going out alone. I always heard things like “never go out by yourself,” “two together is better than one alone” or “be aware of your surroundings.”
As I got older, I found myself nervous to go anywhere by myself, and I almost always wanted someone to be with me. I would never go to a restaurant and eat by myself.
But in Japan, restaurants are full of tables for one. As a foreigner, I knew I wanted to embrace the culture while visiting. It wasn’t until I was actively trying to do so that I realized how uncomfortable I was.
For nearly four weeks I embraced the uncomfortable. I sat with it while I had breakfast, I walked with it to the bus stop and I sat with it on train rides. I even found my way to and through the Osaka airport to fly to the Japanese island of Okinawa by myself.
Eventually, I sat with it long enough to know that if I was always comfortable, I would never grow.
As an American woman who has plans of seeing more of the world one day, it was critical that I learned this lesson now.
In a country like Japan that is full of tables for one, it’s easy to request one. Now my challenge will be to sit with that discomfort again in a country that taught me to do the opposite.
Japan helped me learn that growth happens when you step out of the comfortable and sit with the uncomfortable. Although my comfort zone is safe, cozy and feels like home, it was holding me back from the person I’m meant to be.
