The story of the day I went abroad for the first time without being able to speak English

“I want to go abroad.”
But I could barely speak any English.

A chance suddenly came to me, who had been thinking that.

It was my third year at the company.
A senior colleague at work approached me.

“I’m going to San Francisco where my sister is studying abroad. Would you like to come with me?”

Of course, my answer was immediate.

“I’ll go!”

But in reality, at this time,
I had zero experience traveling abroad.

I could also barely speak any English.

◆ Only one month until the trip to the US

About one month until departure.

I rushed to a photo studio and applied for a passport.
I also asked my senior colleague to arrange the flight tickets, and somehow managed to finish the preparations.

But the anxiety didn’t disappear.

“Will I really be okay…?”

With that feeling, I headed to Narita Airport.

◆ Anxiety from the moment I boarded the plane

I boarded the plane with a pounding heart, and we took off safely.

However, reality hit me immediately.

The flight attendants were almost all foreigners.

There was only one Japanese person. (It was an American airline)

The drink service began,
and I was spoken to in English.

Honestly, I didn't really understand what was being said to me.
For a moment, I thought, 'Maybe I shouldn't have come after all...'

But with my senior's help, I managed to place my order.

◆ Sudden illness

The relief was short-lived.

Next, my stomach started to hurt.

Even though I had taken motion sickness medicine, I unexpectedly got a stomachache.

Between the anxiety and the tension, I started feeling worse and worse.

What should I do...?

I gathered my courage and
spoke to the only Japanese flight attendant.

◆ An unexpected move to business class

When I explained the situation,

'It might be that the seat is too cramped and uncomfortable. Please wait a moment.'

Then, the flight attendant returned and said one thing.

'There is a vacancy in business class, so let's move you there.'

Huh...?

It was an unexpected turn of events.

I was anxious about being separated from my senior, but
I thought, 'If I can sit more comfortably...', so I moved.

Sitting next to me
was an American pregnant woman.

Since I couldn't speak English,
I wanted to thank her for something,

so I tore a piece of paper by hand and folded a crane.

When I handed it to her,
she smiled and accepted it.

Even if we didn't speak the same language,
I felt that my feelings were properly conveyed.

It was that kind of moment.

◆ A word of "Enjoy!"

After landing,
when I thanked the Japanese flight attendant,

"You've come all the way to America, so enjoy it!"

She said that to me with a smile.

My heart, which had been full of anxiety,
felt suddenly lighter in that moment.

◆ The wall of immigration

After arriving, what awaited me was immigration.

My senior told me, "You'll be asked questions in English,"
which made me even more nervous.

"It'll be fine if you just say 'sightseeing'."

Even though I was told that,
I couldn't get any help since we had to go one by one.

My turn came while my heart was pounding,
and when I handed over my passport...

I passed through without being asked almost anything.

It was so simple that it was anticlimactic.

◆ Time in San Francisco

At the airport, my senior's sister and her partner were there to pick me up.

Thanks to the two of them who have lived there for a long time,
I was able to spend my stay with peace of mind.

We rode the cable car
to Fisherman's Wharf.

Eating clam chowder,
and going to Yosemite National Park.

I thoroughly enjoyed my first trip abroad.

◆ But, something I kept thinking

It was fun.

But, I kept thinking.

“It’s frustrating.”
If I could understand English better, I could have enjoyed it even more.

I couldn't understand what was being said.
I couldn't speak.

That frustration stayed with me the whole time.

◆ What I did immediately after returning home

Right after I got back,
I started attending an English conversation school.

“I want to be able to speak.”

That was the moment
that feeling became clear.

You can go abroad even if you can't speak English.

But, if you can speak it, the world opens up even more.

That is what
my first experience abroad taught me.
This experience became the start of my English learning journey.

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