Yesterday I finished my marathon, or is it sprint, because I reached level 60 in less than a year?
Either way, a goal that I’ve set for myself last year has finally been reached, but honestly, I have some mixed feelings about it… Why?
When you finally get to the finish line, the feeling of accomplishment and personal satisfaction is amazing. It’s something you know it took a lot of work and dedication. So you feel relieved. It’s done, finished, conquered. However, when you spend a year with a well established routine, soon it becomes automatic, as second nature. You wake up, you know what you have to do. It feels comfortable, you don’t even have to think about it. So what happens when all of that comes to an end. As for me, I can’t help but feel somewhat empty. Breaking a routine is hard… I have to fill that void with something else.
My routine hasn’t come to an abrupt stop, though. It’s like when a runner gets to the finish line and continues running for a few more meters. I still have reviews to do, which will give me time to adapt to a new routine. I have to get out there and consume more Japanese media… As if watching over 10 J-dramas a week and reading 5 different mangas at the same time wasn’t enough already
How does it feel, though, being level 60? Well, not very different from level 59, or 58, or 57… You get my point, right? You don’t suddenly wake up and you’re level 60. You had to gradually get to that point. It’s like the path to fluency. Your knowledge grows slowly, like a snowball. When you look back and see how far you’ve come, that’s what’s important. It’s a growing feeling, not an immediate one. But it feels great, nonetheless.
Now, I wish we had some level 60 prize from WK. We spend one year, in some cases more, learning one of the most difficult writing systems in the world, and all we get in the end is an e-mail? I need closure, some validation from the almighty Crabigator.
Here’s a couple of suggestions: a fridge magnet in the shape of the level 60 golden badge. Or some sort of diploma, with your name or some congratulatory document. Yes, the e-mail is technically a congratulatory document, but I wanted some physical evidence of my accomplishment
To end, I just like to thank the WK team for creating a resource that makes learning kanji, that monster that so many people are afraid of, fun and engaging. I’m glad I found it and stuck to it 'till the end.
Hope my story also encourages and inspires more people to learn Japanese and keep at it. Even if you feel down and think it’s hard, just think that your future self will thank you one day for not giving up.
頑張れ!
Gabriel