Postcard from Abroad
Dear Global Education Office:
The frantic clicking of the shuttle, the near panic when your tour bus shoots past that one famous site, and the overwhelming desire to purchase the signature souvenir are all familiar feelings to the busy, proactive tourist.
Yet, on returning from Japan, I am no longer possessive of my perfect shot of the Nagoya dome or the delicate wing of my Kyoto folding fan. If I were to lose them, sure, I'd be ticked but that's what postcards and international shipping are for. What makes me cling, makes me really nostalgic, are pictures of my friends and host family. With these snapshots of smiling faces on my lap, I remember the epic battle at the pokemon center one weekend, brandishing stuffed animals and snarling made-up pokemon names; the secret dip in the school fountain at midnight, when we'd plunged knee-dip in freezing water just for the heck of it; the warm bowl of miso soup every morning, prepared by the kindest, gentlest hands of my host grandmother; and a rainy day at the festival, our colorful umbrellas bumping bashfully in midair.
Because, unlike famous sites or souvenirs, these are the memories of people and precious relationships that you can't have back again.
-Joo-Young Chang
Credit: Joo-Young Chang
Major: English
