IPO News

I Am UMass Abroad: Katherine Gutierrez Orrego

Wednesday, November 10, 2021

While holding onto nothing but hope, I was fortunate enough to go to Japan during the 2020-2021 academic year — the only UMass student to do so. I studied abroad at International Christian University in Mitaka, Tokyo and fell in love with Japan in a way that I hadn’t before. Ever since I’ve returned to the U.S., all I think about is how to get back to my home away from home.

To me, every day in Japan was a dream. Despite the COVID regulations that were in place, I had the best time of my life. I loved going to Kichijoji to shop and eat delicious nabe or Korean food with my new friends. Overcoming my shyness, I fell in love with Japanese onsens and karaoke. When I was taking transportation, I felt peaceful looking at the beautiful scenery. Whether it was taking the train an hour to Shibuya or riding my bicycle to the grocery store, I was happy. Doing these simple things fulfilled me.

My life on campus was just as great. My senseis (teachers) were very knowledgeable and caring and my classes helped fulfill requirements for both my Japanese and Sociology degree. During the semester, my classmates and I stressed together about all the exams and reports that we had to do. Outside of class, I joined the Korean pop dance club and met other students with the same interests as me. Meeting every week to practice for our final semester performance was always a fun time. Developing my own little community at ICU made my time in Japan amazing.

One of the greatest opportunities that I had was taking a judo class. Being the only foreigner in class, I often could not understand my senseis’ explanations. Instead, I learned by watching and relied on my classmates and senseis’ further explanations in simpler Japanese. Every week, I noticed myself getting stronger and performing the moves smoother and smoother. Although I
was not in a formal judo club, I was happy with my improvement and the praise I received from my senseis. Judo made me feel alive and powerful. Through judo, I felt like a true ICU student and not just a study abroad student. When the semester came to an end, my senseis allowed me to hold the class motto, the ones we always bowed to before and after practice, to take pictures. I couldn’t have had a greater honor. Through judo, I came to learn and understand a part of Japan that I had never known before, and this became precious to me.

Studying abroad in Japan is one of the best decisions I ever made. My senseis, my roommates, my friends and the scenery were all worth the wait. I can’t wait to go back to Japan, my home away from home.