A Journey of the Heart

When I was growing up, my parents, former Peace Corps volunteers, instilled in my brother and me a profound appreciation for global connection. Our home buzzed with exchange students, tales of teaching in Jamaica, and an unspoken understanding that the world was vast and waiting to be explored.

This connection with the international would eventually change my life. The turning point came in 1988, when I was 16. My mom shared the news that our town of Fairfield, California, had a sister city program with Nirasaki, Japan, and they were launching their first student exchange. The idea of leaving the United States for the first time was too hard to pass up. I was one of four students chosen for that inaugural trip, the sole girl among them. Little did I know that this journey would be nothing short of life altering, as it is for so many when going abroad to study.

Going abroad gifted me the confidence to navigate new experiences, a skill set I'd draw upon not only in college but in the years to come.

I was immersed into a whole new world—living with the Nakamura family, attending Japanese school, marveling at eating udon, teaching my new friends to play flag football, exploring Mount Fuji and Tokyo. Six months later, my host sister, Yumi, arrived in California, sharing our Christmas celebrations, exploring San Francisco, and experiencing life in Northern California. That exchange cracked open my worldview, revealing a life far beyond the confines of my small town.

In high school, I was a shy, average student, but college was the place where I blossomed. Going abroad gifted me the confidence to navigate new experiences, a skill set I'd draw upon not only in college but in the years to come, living in five different countries over the last two decades while teaching and working with EducationUSA.

Revisiting the Past and Looking to the Future

Spurred by a desire to reconnect this past year, I found myself on a train in Japan, bound for a reunion with my host family after 35 years. I traced the familiar landscapes, reflecting on the impact of that first exchange. Meeting Yumi and Keiichi, my host sister and brother, felt like stepping back in time, as though no years had passed. Unfortunately, my host father couldn't attend the reunion due to an illness. When I returned to Dubai, I sent him a postcard, expressing how much his kindness meant to me as a young girl from California who was welcomed into their home. A few weeks after I sent the postcard, Yumi shared that my host father had passed away. But the postcard reached him just 10 hours before his passing, and she sent a loving photo of him holding my card. I feel blessed that he got my message of thanks and that it also had meaning for him.

Life is fleeting, and our expressions of gratitude should not be delayed.

The sister city program continues, maintaining its tradition of annual exchanges. This summer, a momentous occasion unfolded as the mayors of Fairfield and Nirasaki convened in Fairfield to commemorate the 50-year milestone of the cities’ enduring relationship. To my surprise, they invited me to speak at the celebration. Reflecting on that teenage version of myself, I celebrated the many schools, planes, and international experiences that unfurled in the wake of that initial journey to Japan. Undoubtedly, a door had swung wide open.

My experience is similar to so many other international educators who chose this work after their own worlds were cracked open by a global experience. After working in the field for decades, I have a few takeaways for those shaping the future of international education:

• Embrace discomfort; it's in those moments that authentic learning and growth occur.
• Open your home, heart, and classrooms to diverse cultures, understanding that curiosity leads to meaningful connections that can bridge vast cultural divides.
• Trust your instincts, express gratitude promptly, and don't wait to convey the impact someone has had on your life.

Life is fleeting, and our expressions of gratitude should not be delayed. International education is not just about textbooks and seminars; it's a journey of the heart, a shared exploration of our collective whole.  •

Karen Bauer is the regional manager for the Middle East and Central Asia for EducationUSA.