This is baby Yuka trying to look pretty. At this point, this girl had no idea that she would be living a life so extremely different from most of the Japanese population.

When I was 8, my parents transferred me into an international school located in Japan, which became my biggest turning point. I didn’t know a single word of English (not even “Hello”) so I was placed into an ESL class before joining the mainstream classroom in Grade 3. I remember myself being the shy conservative girl who feared to explore this new culture she was suddenly introduced into. Everything was new – the language, the atmosphere, the interaction between people, mannerisms, and of course, lots of foreigners. I was completely intimidated. But this was when I learned the power of language. As soon as I started understanding English better, the world around me changed. It was friendly, warm, fun, and loving.

The summer I joined the mainstream Grade 3 classroom, my parents sent me on a two week home-stay experience in Australia. New country, relatively new language, and first time away from my family. Everyone thought that I would be scared and become homesick – but this girl could not wipe the smile off her face. Everything was different – the scenery, the people, the buildings, the food, the smell of the air… It all intrigued me. At age 9, I became a curious traveller.

I loved visiting different countries. I loved figuring out about other cultures. Being in an international school made it easy for me to satisfy this growing curiosity and thirst for knowledge. In my classroom alone (my class had 21 students) we had at least 10 different nationalities from all over the world. This meant that when I went to their house, I got to experience their cultural way of living – be it food, interaction, language… or just the whole atmosphere.

In 2009 I graduated highschool and came to Vancouver, Canada to attend University of British Columbia. I was excited to begin a new chapter in my life. I soon fell in love with this city. Yes the scenery is beautiful and there are not much struggle when it comes to convenience here – but what really grabbed my heart was the people. People here are extremely diverse and open-minded. The mosaic culture really spoke to me. I felt at home, I felt comfortable. I started meeting people from countries I have never even heard before, started hearing languages I have never heard before, started trying food from different cultures I have never tasted before. My curiosity towards people and culture amplified throughout these experiences.

I now travel around when I have the time and the money (of course). Every trip is a different experience and every trip add something new to my thoughts, beliefs, and characteristics. I try to experience their culture and learn their language so as to form stronger bonds with individuals from that background. I’ve learned over years that when I’m genuinely interested in trying to understand who the other person is, they become genuinely interested in you too – this, like a magic spell, creates a mutual understanding between the two. From here, it’s all about being open-minded and respecting each other’s differences and similarities. This part is obviously easier said than done. But in my opinion being patient and understanding is a good place to start.

So why was this story about curiosity in culture and travelling important? Because my teaching philosophy is very much rooted in these experiences. My curiosity has lead me to strongly believe and realize that culture is not just about different countries – everyone has their own culture. We are all different, unique individuals. Meeting people and learning about different cultures has also taught me the importance of patience and understanding. It’s the effort that really counts – we give respect and they return it back. In educational settings, I believe these values are essential and I strongly believe that these experiences will help me out throughout my career.