I have always been interested in Japanese culture, especially since my parents loved bringing my brothers and me to Japanese restaurants to eat sushi. The summer before my Junior year of high school, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Japan for six weeks. I lived in a host family in Okazaki in Aichi prefecture. There I attended Hikarigaoka High School and made lots of new friends and experienced the culture first hand. Unfortunately, I had no knowledge of the Japanese language except for "Nihongo ga wakarimasen!" Still, my host family and schoolmates were very patient and spoke English with me.
Three years later, I am finally learning Japanese in a classroom environment. I hope that I can someday return to Okazaki and better speak with my friends and family in Japanese.
Here is a picture I took on my very first day in Japan. Look at all the different kinds of Kit Kat! Heaven on earth~
