Let’s rewind time to the beginning of July 2023, shortly before I received my acceptance letter to MIIS. I was booked on a flight to Alberta, Canada on the 1st day of the month. Traveling all the way from Orlando, Florida, this would actually be my 2nd time making this long-distance trip. The destination was the University of Alberta. So, what exactly was I doing in Canada while my fate of being a MIIS student was being determined?
To answer that, let me share some details about my language learning journey. I started learning Japanese since the Fall of 2017 when I enrolled in Japanese language courses at my undergraduate university. I had always been interested in the language but became even more enamored the more I learned about the writing system and the overall exquisiteness of Japanese culture. Once I started, I kept on going. For almost 6 years now, I’ve been diligently studying language as much as I could with my peers, textbooks, and the internet.
Like many other Japanese language learners at some point during their studies, I came to learn about a certification exam called the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). This is probably the most well-known certification within the non-native Japanese learning community to assess your fluency in the language. Given that the exam is administered by the Japanese government, it is held in high regards. The JLPT can be taken across the globe in several countries. However, the downside of living in the United States is that the test is only administered once a year in December – a busy time period surrounded by finals and end-of-year deadlines to meet. Luckily, in Canada, there are locations where the JLPT is administered twice a year, once in July and once in December. After much contemplation, going back and forth whether it was worth it to travel that far for a one-time pass or fail attempt, I ultimately decided to invest in my future career and pursue this opportunity.
So that is precisely what brought me to Canada again in July 2023. I had taken and passed the JLPT N3 last year in 2022. This time around, I was aiming for the next level, N2. I left Orlando, Florida around 6:00 am the morning of July 1st, and landed in Alberta, Canada around 8:00 pm that evening. The test was scheduled the following day on July 2nd at the University of Alberta. On the day of the exam, I recall feeling anxious and underprepared but at this point, I just had to do it. While waiting for the exam to start, I kept reassuring myself that no matter the outcome, everything will be okay because I knew I was doing this for me to grow and learn from my experience. With all these emotions filtering through my mind, I made it to the end and lived to see another day.
With no time at all to settle in or get cozy, my return trip back home was set immediately the day after the exam. On July 3rd, I spent the entire day making my way back to Orlando. I left as quickly as I came. Of course, I captured the little tourist moments in between, but I was definitely overly fatigued. For anybody keeping note of the particular date, it was indeed the eve of Independence Day of America. I was greeted home by my wonderful family and neighbors celebrating the holiday with fireworks and joyous activities. Midnight was soon approaching and while I was eager to just get into bed, I wanted to stay awake at least until the final countdown. Being somewhat half-spirited in the moment, I decided to check my email to pass the time. It didn’t take long for me glance at the words I was waiting for. My eyes were fully alert, and my heart raced as I read the subject line of the email, “Middlebury Institute Admissions Decision”. There was a surge of happiness and excitement. It could not have come at a better timing. In a matter of seconds, the uncertain feelings I had about my future had dramatically shifted. I’m sure my next fulfilling experience will be a MIIS story waiting to be told.
