Finding My Community in Kyoto

Written by Reilly Baker

When people talk about studying abroad, they usually focus on the places they visited, the food they tried, and the experiences they had. I expected my experience to be the same, but I didn’t realize that one of the most memorable parts would end up being the people I met.

Before leaving, I was nervous because I didn’t know anyone else going on the program from my home university. It felt like everyone already had friends they planned to travel with while I was showing up alone. I kept wondering if everyone else would already have their groups and if it would be hard to meet people. Soon after arriving, I realized I wasn’t the only one feeling that way.

One of the best parts of studying abroad through CIEE was that everyone was starting from the same place. Since nobody was in their normal routine, people were more open to meeting new people and saying yes to plans. It made connecting a lot easier than I expected, and I ended up meeting so many more people than I thought I would from both my own university and schools across the country. My favorite moments soon became the simple ones I spent with everyone like getting meals together, walking to class, and exploring the streets together. I also think Kyoto made that sense of community easier to find. Through CIEE’s classes, activities, and excursions, we got to experience the city together instead of just visiting it. Exploring new places with people made Kyoto feel less overwhelming and helped it start to feel like home.

I came to Japan worried I wouldn’t know anyone, but I’m leaving with friendships from my own school and people from across the country that I never would have met otherwise. Studying abroad reminded me that sometimes the best connections happen when you step into something new without already knowing anyone.