My time in Japan flew by as I was thrust into an unknown new world outside the immediate sphere of Western influence. Although the fingerprints of America were present in many aspects of Japanese society, it was obvious that I was as far away from home culturally as I had ever been before. I was exposed to new religions, traditions, architecture, and societal formalities far removed from the United States and Europe. It was such a thought-provoking experience to see just how different societies can be organized, but also how similar we all are as people. Seeing that even though cultures have different histories and different thoughts on how they should be organized that so many aspects remain similar no matter where you are in the world. We all, regardless of our place of birth, language, or customs, share so much in common with one another forming such a beautiful humanity with one another. My time in Japan opened my eyes to this shared humanity and that was truly an eye-opening experience that I did not get to the same extent from my travels through Europe. This was extubated by just how different Japan is from the United States. Unlike in Europe, I had trouble communicating with almost every person I ran into in public. English literacy is not high in Japan and that can be a very alienating experience. That in concurrence with the vastly different customs made me feel more out of place in Japan than in anywhere else I have traveled. I think that this alienation forced me to see the commonalities that exist between humans regardless of the gapping differences that may exist between us. Overall, I am so thankful for my time in this country and feel as though it has not only been really fun but has given me such valuable insight into what it means to be human.