Ryder Dickinson

Konnichiwa! I’m Ryder (he/him), and I studied in Japan during Summer A of 2024. We split our time equally between Tokyo and Kyoto (YES we got to ride the bullet train) and took a six-credit course that focussed entirely on the development of Japanese culture over time. Prior to my trip, I had been to France, Italy, and Portugal, which were all fantastic in their own rights, but I really wanted to travel to a non-white, non-Western country, and I am so happy I did. I was able to meet great people and expose myself to parts of the human condition I didn’t even know I was missing. After the official UF leg of the trip, my mom flew over for two weeks, and we got to explore the areas of Japan my program didn’t take me to, something I highly recommend if your parents are willing! In the future, I would love to study in Spain.