One of the Best Month of My Life

PICKY EATING: Although I have no food allergies, I was a picky eater and was worried if I would be able to eat anything in a foreign country, but to my surprise everything just tasted so good that it didn't matter. Coming back to America, I've been able to get over most of my bad eating habits, and will eat almost anything now. (I also know that this may vary from person to person.)

MEETING AND MY GROUP: When I first arrived at the airport, it was difficult to socialize because I was nervous meeting the people that I have been looking forward to since I got the Group List. Some questions that popped into my head were, "What if they think I'm weird?" "Will I be able to get along with them within the month?" But, all my worries and stress was blown away in just a couple hours. They people that I traveled with had amazing talents, personalities, and opinions to share. I came to love everyone that I traveled with like they were family. I assume it was also partly because we were living in close proximity with each other and we would be the first and last thing we see and hear each day.

ARRIVAL & BRIEFING OF WHAT WE DID: When I first arrived to Japan, I was dying of the heat and humidity, but I believe on the third day I adjusted and got somewhat used to it. Our main mode of transportation was the train and our feet. I like to believe that I gained a lot of leg muscle from all the walking. We explore many districts in Tokyo, did a lot of shopping, ate/tried really good food, and met and conversed with Japanese people to the best of our abilities.

DAILY SCHEDULE: An average day for me during the program was waking up, getting ready (brushing, eating, etc.), and having a short meeting. We would then attend class, be guided around the district (or do an activity such as candy making or calligraphy), and be given free time to explore (in groups of at least 3) for the remainder of the time we were in the district. We would then head back to our accommodation and be given free time (after a debrief if there is one) to go wherever we wanted with in the boundaries that were set for us.

HOMESTAY: Everyone's host family experience is different, and for me I loved my host family. They were very sweet, understanding and patient. We spent as much time as we could together with just the 4 days we could stay ?. With my family, we cooked together and went to the park, aquarium/amusement park, and ramen museum. We would also relax in the living room with each other, talking and enjoying each other's company.

SCHOOL: When the itinerary said that we would be going to a Japanese High School it was nothing like how I imagine we would be doing it. I thought that we would be attending a class like normal, but instead we were welcomed by a committee made up of students who were really good at English. Their skills were definitely better than our skills in Japanese. We paired up with a buddy, and learned about each other school life through conversation and tours around the school.

OPINION: The experiences I had through this program was definitely unique and could not be replicated. I would like to encourage anyone who is interested to immerse themselves into another country's culture. I had such a great time that when I arrived back in America I wished that I was still in Japan. And, although it hasn't been too long since I got back I am still in contact with my host family and friends that I traveled with. So, although I miss seeing everyone in person I believe that it's not a "Goodbye forever", but a "Goodbye for now" and "See you soon."