At age 16, I became curious about my roots and decided to leave my hometown Cincinnati OH, and move in with my grandma in Japan. Overly confident that I’d easily blend in, I was shook to learn my Japanese was incomprehensible to locals and my chopsticks skills were shameful.

Culture shock and identity crises were challenging to say the least, but I found so much joy in learning new perspectives and nuances. Everyday was a new discovery of seeing how it shaped people’s thoughts and interactions.

Fast forwarding to present day, my Japanese is at a native level but my chopsticks...still questionable. But moreover, I love that I get to connect with people as a crucial part of being a product designer.