Biography: Okinawa

As my grandma and I walked out of the plane into the Japan airport, I was overwhelmed. Signs all around us were only written in Japanese characters. I did not know nearly enough of the language to figure out where to go. I glanced at my grandma, concerned that we wouldn't be able to get to our next plane, but I had never seen her more confident in my life. She steered us to the exact right place, weaving in and out of crowds, down long hallways, and through baggage claim. She had not been here in years, but muscle memory took over. She was home.

In Okinawa, we met family, stopped by my grandma's favorite childhood spots, and visited ancient castles. My grandma saw Okinawa from a touristy perspective for the first time (for my sake) and was shocked by the growth of the island as a vacation destination. As for me, I learned to live off the few Japanese words I knew, as well as the kindness of my relatives. They did whatever they could to communicate their love without words (when my grandma couldn't translate). One day I told my great-aunt that I loved the sata andagi (Okinawan donuts) she had given me. The next day, she handed me two bags full of them to take home. The language barrier felt very minimal at times like that.

Visiting a non-English speaking place changed my perspective on the world. It was extremely humbling to have to depend on someone else to translate everything for me. I had to learn to let go of being in control because I couldn't. Language barriers are tough, but allowing that to stop you from exploring places with one will cause you to lose out on a lot of incredible experiences. The day we left Okinawa, I felt a sadness in my stomach that I had never felt for any other place. I know I will go back someday, and until then, I'll keep brushing up on my Japanese.

(Personal image of Okinawa from the top of an abandoned castle.)

Author's Note:

For my post, I used this prompt: Have you traveled or lived in a place where you did not speak the language spoken around you? Write a story prompted by that experience. I was going to make it a 100 word microfiction, but I ended up wanting to tell a longer story. Japan (and Okinawa specifically) means a lot to me, and I wanted to write a bit more of an emotional story than the one I wrote for my favorite place post.