The Experiment in International Living

I traveled to Tokyo, Japan for the Anime and Manga program. It was an amazing experience. I met new people along the way. Our leaders were very informed and experienced. I was able to not just learn the anime and manga but also the Japanese culture and food. The class was fun. The fun trips through out the month were also interesting. Learning the train transportation was important. My host family was welcoming and I enjoyed my time with them. A great life experience. I reccomend the Japan Anime and Manga trip.

My time in Germany was such an exhilarating experience, making it unforgettable. Not only did I have the opportunity to visit Germany, but I was also able to visit France, Luxembourg, and Belgium! By visiting these countries, I learned about their culture and politics. The purpose of my trip was to learn about European politics and German culture and language. On this trip, I traveled with a group of 13 teenagers and had 3 group leaders. Everyone was kind and supportive, which made my time there more valuable after the obstacles I faced.

The moments that stood out to me the most were when I talked to each person in the group. They all had their own set of stories to share and what they’ve learned so far. Bonding with each one of them changed my way of interacting with others in ways I can’t describe. An unexpected highlight from my trip was my homestay experience. My homestay family was the sweetest people I’ve ever encountered. They are a big family, but they all communicate so well with each other and gave my friend and me so much love during our stay. I was fearful about staying with an unknown family, but we bonded so much that it became my favorite part of the trip. It made me excited about what the rest of the trip was going to be like.

On this trip, I learned about how the European Union functions, and it was interesting. I loved learning about its history and how countries get accepted into it. In addition, the group experienced what it felt like to be part of the European Parliament through a simulation. This was one of the best activities I did on the trip! Learning about politics gave me motivation to pursue politics later down the road. I already had thoughts about it, but now that I’ve gained a new perspective on the subject, I feel more confident. Others in the group felt the same by the end of the trip, which goes to show that this was an amazing learning experience. This trip has encouraged me to research studying abroad and visit Luxembourg again! Luxembourg was my favorite place to go to because of its diversity and education.

This experience challenged my leadership and assertiveness skills through my relationship with the group and group activities. I had to be a good influence on others, but sometimes I had to build boundaries with others, which was the most challenging aspect of the trip. I thought adapting would be difficult, but it was really easy to embrace the new culture. By the end of the trip, I am more confident, empathic, and independent. Any small obstacles I faced, I had to use these skills and keep my integrity in mind before making a choice. I am overjoyed that I got such a unique opportunity to travel abroad with others my age and learn together. I made the best memories that I will talk about for the rest of my life.

I initially was a bit reluctant to open up to the prospect of living with a bunch of people I've never met before in a whole new country but it was an eye opening experience that allowed me to break out and discover new joys that I have.

Throughout the trip I felt very safe and welcome throughout the entire stay. My experience studying abroad was very peaceful and full of learning experiences.

One of my highlights was at the metro where I learned the vast network of Seoul's amazing transportation system. I miss hearing the little jingle played when a transfer stop is announced.

I was very immersed in the culture and learned a lot more than what I had read and learned about France in my previous research and studies of the country. The trip allowed me to experience authentic day to day life and true culture in many places of France. With interacting with locals, adapting new routines, and participating in cultural traditions, I achieved a deep understanding of the French values and norms that cannot be known only through research itself. With that, I met lots of amazing people from all over the country which was really refreshing. And also made the trip 10x better and memorable.

I was able to go thanks to a scholarship and it was the best thing ever i got to see a place I’ve never been and get learn the anime and manga art style for a week while learning about this new country I would 100% recommend my group leaders were amazing and my group was awesome if you can go do it’s life changing and you will have stories to tell for a life time the only downside is I have a lot of food allergies and I found it hard to find food I could eat luckily my group leader helped find me food I could eat