Since school’s started again, I’ve been realllyy struggling to push out a post. The weekends don’t feel long enough anymore, which why this will probably be just a quick, short update on what I’ve been up to lately instead of a slightly longer, more thought out version that I would much rather post.
In terms of the language, I can’t really say I’ve been making much progress this month. I made a ton all at once in the first two weeks, and after that it just felt like I hit a plateau where I’ve definitely not gotten worse, but I wouldn’t necessarily say I’ve gotten much better either. Speaking Japanese used to be exciting, but after one too many times of feeling completely left out due to my inability to speak adequately enough, it’s really started to feel like a chore. Don’t get me wrong- it’s still fun, but it’s also a lot of work, that admittedly, i don’t always wake up in the morning excited to do. If you’re planning on being an exchange student, it’s things like this that you really need to consider before applying. Yeah, the first few weeks will be awesome, but after a while, you really do settle in, and after a while, a lot of things that made your new country feel exciting just won’t anymore. It’s inevitable, so you really need to make sure that’s a monster you’re willing to take on.
I know that doesn’t make me sound too optimistic about my past month here, but it really has been a lot of fun. Every weekend there’s always something to do, and I really genuinely love living near the city. Everybody I’ve met has been super nice as well, so I’ve had no shortage of people to talk to and hang out with. Honestly there’s already so many things here- just random aspects of Kanazawa that my hometown doesn’t have- that i’m already so attached to, I know I’ll be pretty messed up when I have to leave. It’s only been a month, but this place genuinely feels like home to me, and I have a lot of trouble imagining myself anywhere else, including New York.