Kind strangers are teen's GPS in Japan

This summer I traveled to Japan as part of an annual teen delegation, formed from a more-than-40-year partnership between the YMCA of Greater Seattle and the Kobe, Japan, YMCA. I had a number of great and not-so-great experiences. I visited Hiroshima and met a survivor of the A-bomb, visited more temples and shrines than I can remember, dined at the fanciest French restaurant I had ever been to and rapped the national anthem, but the most meaningful experience I had was learning to navigate the Japanese transportation system alone.

One of our tasks during our stay with a host family was to provide our own transportation from their house to the different stations where we met. This meant, for a majority of the teens, their host family would drive or take the train with them. This was not the case for me.

My first host family, due to other obligations, drove me to the train station and sent me on my way with a hug and directions to the platform. I ended up at a station only a few blocks away from my final destination and in a series of events was given the wrong directions and had to walk two miles, uphill, dragging a 50-pound suitcase in 100-degree humid weather.

I have excellent navigation skills, but since I do not read nor speak Japanese, I could not tell which stop to get off at. Also, I didn't know how to ask for directions in Japanese, and the people I asked directions from had limited knowledge of English. In the end, we resorted to hand gestures.

Transportation between my second host family and our teen delegation's meeting spot went much more smoothly because I had a few days to mull over how I could make the trip better. I found a few signs on the train that rotated between Japanese and English; my host mom told me which bus I could take home from the station; and I learned how to ask where a train went.

I thought that by traveling to Japan I could have a little more independence, but I learned I needed to rely on others, even total strangers. I had to adopt some of the language and know exactly where, when and how I was getting home and back every day. I could not just improvise and figure out a path on the fly, or I would end up lost again. The people of Japan were friendly and willing to help, even if they could not understand me. I wish I could once again thank the strangers I randomly selected out of the crowd for taking the time to send me in the proper direction. They were a small but significant example of the hospitality of Japan and the kindness the people of the world possess.

The lesson I took back with me to the U.S. is: Travel is not about showing your independence but learning to rely on strangers from different backgrounds and gaining new experiences.

Erin McLean is a junior at Inglemoor High School in Kenmore.

The Travel Essay, written by readers about an adventure or insight, runs each Sunday in The Seattle Times and also online at seattletimes.com. Essays, which are unpaid, must be no longer than 600 words and will be edited for content and length. E-mail to travel@seattletimes.com or send to Travel, The Essay, The Seattle Times, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111. Because of the volume of submissions,

individual replies are not always possible.