Thursday, July 26, 2012

Welcome and Introductions


Hi all!
As many of you know, one of my goals is to study abroad in Japan my junior year of college. This past Spring, I applied to FSU's Study Abroad Exchange Program in Japan. I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of four to study abroad for an entire year! The program starts in September and I am beyond excited! 

To start off, let's introduce where I'll be living: Nishinomiya City in Hyogo Prefecture. 

It's in the Kansai Region of Japan, located in between two major cities: Osaka and Kobe. Osaka is Japan's second-largest city and Kobe is another major port-city (it also happens to be where we get Kobe Beef!). 
Here's a link to the ever-trustworthy Wikipedia for more information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nishinomiya

Here's a peek at what the city looks like:

Now onto the school I'll be studying at, Kwansei Gakuin University! 
Here's a link to more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwansei_Gakuin_University

A short video on KGU's program:

As the video discusses, this program features a home-stay! I found out last week who my family is! The Oodan family consists of my 67 year old father, 63 year old mother, their 40 year old daughter, and 12 year old granddaughter. It seems like this is their first home-stay experience, so we're in the same boat! I've emailed them twice already and Facebook-stalked the 40 year old, Yuko; they seem like a really nice family and I can't wait to get to know them! :) 

My departure date is August 28!! The countdown has begun! But before I go, I'd like to thank my loving family for supporting me throughout this entire process. Without them, I would not be able to live out my dream. I know it will be hard on both of us, but in the end I hope we will both learn many new and exciting things. Thank you Mom and Dad for allowing me to fulfill my dreams! :D I hope to become a more mature, independent, worldly person as I experience my year in Japan. 

I'm excited to share all my experiences with you as I depart on my journey to this wonderful country. Hope you will enjoy reading about my adventures!