The Harding University Australia group spent a portion of its semester traveling to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and New Zealand to visit and experience a number of different cultures. In the fall, the directors chose to include a six-day trip to Japan in the lineup for the first time. The itinerary included Tokyo, Hiroshima and Kyoto. "I was actually more excited for Japan than I was for Australia," junior Alise Heavrin said. "Asia just seemed so much more of a stretch for somewhere I had always wanted to go but never actually expected to get to travel to." According to Heavrin, many students on the trip experienced culture shock because Japan had vastly different language, food and religious practices. The population density of Japan surprised students, but they learned that the Japanese fought through crowded streets on a daily basis. "On our first day we walked from our hotel to the imperial gardens," Heavrin said. "As soon as we stepped through the gates and down the walkway the atmosphere changed. It was a place of serenity within a busy city that never stops. It truly embodied their culture and was a perfect start in Japan." Students said they expected Japan to have lots of people, similar food and hostility toward Americans due to past political and military conflict. But the students were proven wrong. According to sophomore Kristina Roberts, the Japanese people were very respectful and kind. Roberts said one experience that stuck out was a conversation she had with an older Japanese man outside of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, ground zero in Hiroshima from the first atomic bomb dropped by America. "Knowing I was an American, he did not seem to have any hostility toward me, but rather said to me how important it was for people to visit the place and see the destruction because war should be avoided at all cost, and we should remember those who lost their lives because of it," Roberts said. Sophomore Megan Moores advised future HUA t ravelers to respect the Japanese people by learning about their history and culture before heading overseas to visit their land. "The Japanese are a very driven group of people and should be honored," Moores said. The trip to Japan was more than an enjoyable vacation or a risky adventure. It was a lesson in showing appreciation and love toward people of another country, no matter what happened in the past. Alex Ezell "It's unbelievable how much a person can change after spending three months traveling the world." Sophomore Rachel Miller 49
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