Things I Regret Not Doing While I Was Abroad

Sometimes I think about how it would be if there was no global pandemic. I would still be in Japan. I would still be waking up in the lovely apartment I had in Japan. I would still be able to make midnight trips to 7/11 for an onigiri or sandwich. Honestly speaking, it would be amazing if I were still in Japan.

Thinking about it in that way made me realize there are a lot of things I regret not doing while I was abroad.

1. Buying more clothes.

Asian fashion is amazing. Japan, known for their fashion, has several chains that sell great (and affordable!) clothing, such as GU and WEGO. I only found out about WEGO about a week before I was told to go home, so it was so disappointing that I didn’t have more time to go check out the store.

2. Trying out more new food places

There are a ton of places to eat in Japan. I managed to find several great places, and of course, was always open to finding new ones, but I realized that some time during the year, I started to frequent the places I had already gone to before. Maybe it was because I knew those places were worth my money and worth eating at again, but a part of me wishes that I tried to eat at other places – places I haven’t gone to before.

3. More travel around Japan

It’s a bit sad that I was in Tokyo most of the time. My program had trips planned for us around Japan, but with the virus, many of them were cancelled. I had a lot of plans to go with a group of friends later in the year (most of the plans to occur in the summer), but because of COVID-19, all those plans went down the drain. That makes me wish that I had went on more trips earlier in the year.

4. Taking more walks

At some point during my year abroad, I did complain about the amount of walking I had to do. It was tiring – especially when it was hot out. Even so, I wish I had taken more walks around my neighborhood. It was such a pretty neighborhood – there’s rarely trash on the streets and the roads are relatively safe.

5. More pictures and videos!!!

Of course, the most common regret among all students that go abroad: taking more pictures and videos. I documented a lot in general, but of course, it’s never enough. I wish I took pictures and videos of more common things, like my apartment or when my roommates and I decided to cook. I took so many pictures of exciting things that I forgot to take pictures of the most mundane things. I miss the things that I considered boring back when I was in Japan (like cleaning the house or moving the furniture) and I wish I captured more moments of it when I was there.

There’s a ton of things I miss. I hope one day I’ll be able to return, as a visitor on vacation or as someone with a working visa, and do the things that I regretted not doing when I was there the first time.