Good-bye Tokyo~ Hello Nishinomiya!

Leaving Tokyo was almost as hard as leaving Miami...Meeting all my friends and making new memories with them was so much fun that I didn't want to leave it behind. Having so many wonderful people to spend time with really makes a foreign place feel like home. I'm really grateful to everyone who spent time with me and let me stay in their homes. Thank you all so very much~!! (^^)

On the bullet train to Shin-Osaka Station, it really, REALLY hit me: I'm going to a new place, to meet new people, and make new friends...whoa, can you say overwhelming?! Despite that scary feeling, I got myself all the way to my new home station, Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station, without much trouble and in a decent amount of time! 

I've heard that everyone in Kansai speaks in Kansai-ben (Kansai dialect), but that's not the case; all of the station workers spoke regular Japanese haha. So far, it's not much different from Tokyo! The only difference I've noticed is the way they ride the escalator: in Tokyo, you stand on the left and walk on the right; in Kansai, it's the opposite! No culture shock just yet; I guess that's what happens when you've been to Japan before and stayed in an actual home. 

My host family is amazing! The grandmother is super talkative and spunky; she cracks me up all the time. The grandfather isn't really home much because he goes out to work, but he's very soft-spoken and well-mannered. In other words, the complete opposite of Grandma haha! Their 40 year old daughter, Yuko, works at the Uniqlo nearby and is very sweet. Yuko and her son, Miyu, both live with us. Miyu has down syndrome, which is something I'm not used to. He's very talkative and energetic, a typical, cute 12 year old. They also have a Golden Retriever, Rocky. He's adorable and knows I'm a dog person; every time I walk into the room, his tails starts wagging and he comes right up to me. 

Here's a peek into what life is like so far at my new home: Last night at dinner, I was pouring myself water when Miyu asked me to pour him some, too. I took his cup and poured him some; when I handed him the cup back, he gave a huge smile and said, "I'm so happy!!" Grandma said, "Miyu knows a cute girl when he sees one!" We all cracked up :D 

Everyone is really laid back and easy-going. They invited me to go to Miyu's school's end-of-summer festival! I'm officially a part of the family (^^) Yaayy~ 

Tomorrow I visit KGU for the first time. I'm super nervous and excited at the same time!! There's 100 kids total in the program, so that's a lot of new faces and names to try to remember haha. I'm looking forward to meeting new people and making new friends~~ It's a wonderful start to my study abroad, and I have a feeling it's only going to get better (^0^)/ 

Land of the Rising Sun

That statement proves to be true. It's five am and bright outside- the sky a mix of blues, pinks, and oranges. What a beautiful sight to wake up to! It makes the jet lag a little less frustrating.

Leaving Miami was hard; it didn't feel like going off to college, anymore. It felt like I was leaving and never coming back! But, since that's not the case, the tears subsided and I was able to make it to my flights on time. "Saying goodbye sucks!"My mom said; boy, was she right!

Once I got going, it was easy to forget the fact that I was heading to Japan; when traveling, I just try not to forget anything at the airport or on planes! The flight was fantastic: an empty seat next to me (empty plane, for that matter!), awesome food, impeccable service. Sure, it was 12 hours long, but being able to sleep and watch good movies made it all the better :)

I arrived yesterday afternoon (Japan time), which is around 3am Miami time. There was no welcoming committee (Narita airport is too far out of the way for that), so I had to navigate the airport all by myself- what a welcome, huh! It was a daunting task: first, navigate Immigration and Customs (I received a Residence Card! Now I'm official!); second, send my largest suitcase to my host family through Japan's version of UPS; third, exchange my American dollars into Yen; finally, buy a Narita Express Train ticket to Tokyo Station in order to meet up with my friend...phew! Once I could sit down on the train and relax a little, it all sunk in: I'm in Japan, and I'm not going back to America for a LONG time...woo hoo!!! That's when the excitement truly began.

Japan is as hot as hell (especially since they aren't really using their A/C's to full capacity, due to the nuclear reactor meltdowns causing a lack of electricity). So far, that's the only negative thing I've experienced. The food is still amazing, the trains still run on time, and the people are as helpful as ever (except when it comes to a little foreign girl lugging around 2 suitcases, a stuffed dog toy, and a backpack. Yeah, when it comes to that they just stare lol).

It's been a whirlwind adventure and it's only just begun! Today's a fresh, new day and I'm going to enjoy it to the fullest!

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!