My first trip abroad alone is a bitter memory.

Going abroad alone. When you go alone, you encounter more trouble than when you go with someone else.

Dealing with those troubles is also part of the thrill of traveling, isn't it?

The first time I went abroad alone was when I was a doctoral student.

Thanks to my professor's arrangements, I was able to participate in a conference held in Toronto, Canada, for a whole month. I was very lucky.

✈︎

Without any major trouble, before I knew it, I was in Toronto.

And before I knew it, I was sitting in a university classroom. That day was the day for the conference orientation.

Of course, it was because I had received an email in advance, but my English proficiency at the time was low, so I think it's amazing that I managed to get there.

Standing at the podium was a man with white hair and a white mustache. A professor who looked like Santa Claus started explaining something. I will call him Professor Santa Claus here.

"Blah blah blah."

"Blah blah blah blah blah."

"Hahaha!"

The English that sounded like blah-blah-blah, with occasional laughter mixed in. The language that was supposed to be English passed through my ears at high speed. Of course, nothing remained in my head.

I had no idea what he was saying!

I thought, I've wandered into an outrageous place! I couldn't understand the talk at all, and I wanted to disappear. However, I couldn't just go home, so I tried to make myself invisible.

Please, don't notice me!

You might wonder what I was doing there, but even though it was for study purposes, it is painful when you don't understand the other person's language.

I was in a total panic and just wished for this time to pass quickly.

After that, when a time was written on the blackboard, I felt relieved, thinking, "Maybe it's the schedule for tomorrow. It looks like it's about to end," but that relief was short-lived.

"Blah blah blah?"

I was asked something.

Professor Santa Claus was clearly asking me something.

I think it was a simple question, like where I was from or who introduced me, but I was in the middle of a panic, so I didn't understand anything.

Haha...

I tried to gloss over it with a polite smile and waited for him to give up (I still do this kind of thing). And I wished for time to pass quickly.

✈︎

I somehow got through the first day, but the hell of not understanding continued after that.

I could sort of understand the content of the conference presentations because there were formulas and diagrams. I could, but the tea time between presentations was another hell.

People would smoothly break into conversations where several others were already having a lively discussion.

No way! Impossible! It's impossible even in Japanese!

I'm a bit more used to it now, but back then I thought, 'This is too much for someone with social anxiety,' and I would drink tea in the corner.

Thinking that this wouldn't do, after the conference ended, I studied English desperately at the hotel. I looked up English expressions for things I wanted to say and the meanings of words that came up. I was just desperate.

The tide turned when I found out that two researchers were staying at the same hotel.

Since it was a small group while walking back from the conference, they talked to me slowly, and they even taught me words I didn't know.

They were very kind.

After that, I was able to talk to a few people in broken English, and I was also able to make a connection with the professor I had aimed to meet, which was one of my goals.

Well, in the end, my wallet was stolen, and when I was desperately pleading my case at the police station, my English skills skyrocketed.

I was more desperate than I had ever been in my life, soI felt like my limiters had been removed.

My wallet didn't come back, though...

Ah, beautiful Toronto. Toronto, where there are pickpockets (though they are everywhere). I want to go again.

Thank you for reading!
See you in the next article!