My initial intention was not to experience some 'life-changing' revelation, nor was it to 'find myself' really. Quite frankly, I just wanted to do something worthwhile, plus have a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I could reflect on and write about later on.

I was staying in a pretty rural part of Japan for over a month with not much planned except to see family and simply enjoy my long awaited summer before college. In July, it had been three months since Kumamoto, a prefecture in southern Japan, had suffered a series of devastating earthquakes that damaged the many aspects of a 'normal' life for its people. I decided to take a lone-woman trip there for five days in hopes of contributing at least a little bit of my time to a cause that needed all the help it could get.

After five days of volunteering in several towns and hearing various people's stories surrounding the disaster, there are a few things I (unexpectedly) learned from my experience that have changed the way I look at people and events in my life. So here are what volunteering in post-disaster Kumamoto taught me:

1. Get Cultured

If you want to connect to people, a great way is through the acceptance of cultures. The world is filled with an incredible amount of differing cultures and traditions. Growing up in a multinational family, I learned first-hand that embracing the differences between cultures (even if they're clashing) is key to discovering more about the world that we live in. In Kumamoto, I became open to learning more about the local culture whether it was through speaking to other people or visiting cultural locations. One spot I got to visit was a renowned historical traditional Japanese Garden, called Suizenji Jojuen Park. A major tourist spot in Kumamoto, it's home to many bonsai trees, koi ponds, temples, and shrines that truly celebrate Japanese culture. So get out there and get cultured because sometimes, it's totally a necessity that we get out of our comfort zones to become more connected with others in this global society.

2. Make Your Encounters Count

Every person you meet, every conversation you have with someone should mean something. I realized that all of the people I met throughout my trip had something to teach me, whether that was through a serious talk or a joke. Recently, I've started to value my daily encounters more after realizing that you never know what can come out of them. In Kumamoto I met a young volunteer (who happened to be a hapa like me) from France who was actually in the middle of a three-week hitchhiking trip all through Japan. I had the privilege of hearing some of his amazing stories about both the harsh and heartwarming experiences he's had throughout his journey. I found his stories and mindset very admirable because he had such a positive mindset about everything. On the flip side, he said that he actually learned a lot about Japan and life in general on his trip just by speaking to his different 'drivers'. Even in a short taxi ride that I took, I was able to make small talk with the driver who ended up telling me about his own experience with the earthquakes and how he is recovering. In our busy everyday lives, we forget to truly appreciate our planned (and unplanned) encounters with friends, family, and strangers. Despite how minor that may seem, trust me when I say there is something meaningful to learn from every face you see.

3. Communication is Key

At every volunteer center I went to, all of us were told one thing over and over: to focus more on communication rather than physical labor. I thought that the whole point of volunteering was to assist people in their physical recovery, but I learned that assisting in the emotional recovery was equally important. Cultivating communication with the victims of the disaster helped created a bond between all of us that were once strangers. Through communication, all of us volunteers were also able to share laughs through our long hours of volunteering. Think about a world without any communication; there'd be no exchange of opinions, ideas, or inspirational thoughts. We wouldn't be able to develop any friendships nor bonds to connect us all. On my trip, I made sure to talk endlessly with both victims and fellow volunteers, contributing to memorable conversations and moments that I'll never forget.

Aside from being able to help some people move forward with their recovery after the disaster, I was able to take away helpful tips and lessons that I wouldn't have learned any way else. I'm so thankful I was able to get this opportunity, and I hope that everyone is able to experience something similar, so that they can also learn more about themselves and the world. I have endless appreciation for Kumamoto and its kind people, and I'll always be cheering them on through their long recovery to come.

"You can do this, Kumamoto!"