By: Adam Peachey, Staff Writer 

Oftentimes in our day-to-day life, it can be extremely easy to be content. Blend in, stay in the background, don’t try anything new. 

 It is my professional opinion that this lack of desire for life is a sin. Don’t get me wrong; it’s perfectly fine to take time off and chill out, but at the same time, as a young adult, it can be easy to fall into the rat race without a second look back. The solution: expanding horizons. 

            I had always wanted to travel to Germany, as that is where my lineage can be traced. Throughout high school, I taught myself German. Granted, I’m nowhere near fluent, but that is beside the point. I have always been mentally geared up for Deutschland. 

            “What is a good excuse to get out of school and travel at the same time?” Some nonexistent, hypothetical person may ask. The answer is simple: study abroad. The moment I realized I needed to lock in, it was almost already too late. I looked through the ISEP (International Student Exchange Program) for a day and finished my application an hour before it was due. 

            Part of this process was making a dream sheet, ranking most to least wanted, accounting for availability. Almost every option I picked was for Germany (or very close by). Every possibility except for one. 

            Adding a “most limited” option, the hour the application was due, I knew that they would never assign me to Japan, I just put it down because, well, why not? Yet, here I am, writing on my laptop in Nagoya. (Hello, VSU.) 

            And due to branching out of my comfort zone and making new decisions, my life has been transformed. 

            I have spent one week in Japan. One week of trying new things, new foods, and meeting new people. And as a (current) international student, some enlightenment has taken place. 

            One thing that I’ve learned in this short time is that language is a tool. Don’t get me wrong, I always knew that it was, but being in a place with a lack of English (and a month’s worth of Japanese study) has taught me its value. The international students themselves exemplify this notion, without even speaking our shared target language. 

            There are people from Europe, Indonesia, and around the world who are primarily communicating in their second (or even third!) language, just by speaking with the other students. All of us were randomly put with each other, and the only way to share ideas was to venture into unfamiliar linguistic territory. 

            I had always viewed language almost as a byproduct of culture, but now that view has become more utilitarian. People must communicate; there is no other option. Forcing yourself to learn a different language must be about the most self-improving thing you can do. 

            Additionally, it is interesting to see the little cultural quirks found in people who share the same mother tongue. Many things, terms, or ideas are different that you probably wouldn’t even think of. And even then, some things are so similar that they wouldn’t cross your mind. Some British people are really into American politics. Different parts of the UK have completely different cultures and vocabulary, even for a country of a smaller size. 

            Of course, I would already recommend this experience to others, even just a week in, but at the end of the day, the more time I spend in a foreign culture with a foreign language, the more I learn the nuances that make people unique, both within cultures and across. 

            To those reading this at home, I’m begging you. Step out of your comfort zone, and you will thank yourself later. This was my first time flying, doing so alone, and doing so internationally. Yet, here I am, settled, and loving every minute of it. 

            Trying new things doesn’t mean you have to travel to a different country. Trying a new restaurant or taking up a new hobby can help you grow as well. You never know when you may learn something new. And if you never branch out, you’ll never know just what you missed. Stress is temporary, knowledge is forever.