WHY.

Definitely just spent the past 20 minutes editing the color scheme.

I hope this blog actually turns into something.

Requirement #1: Profile Info (3/3)

#3: What I Hope To Gain from This Course

I want to be fluent in Japanese. I can say really basic things, like "the computer is on the table in the living room." Or, "i want to eat a ham sandwich," but that's not very exciting. Anyone talking to me in Japan would be like "Why does this girl speak like she's reading a picture book?"

Come on. こうじょうさせたい。(Koujousasetai = I want to improve). 

Maybe it's a strange thought, but I'd like to develop into a well-rounded person too. The paradox is that I would NEVER ACTUALLY KNOW if I had achieved this; it would just kind of......show. Having only one kind of experience adds only one dimension to your personality. So, by using elementary reasoning, having a second kind of experience would add TWO DIMENSIONS . 

if a triangle has 2 dimensions, does that mean I 

am a triangle, or that this triangle has been to Japan?

Or thereabouts. 

Hopefully, I won't return a brainwashed Harajuku zombie. Although, I think I could rock some pink hair. At the very least, I could afford to wear some platform shoes.

I guess we'll find out a year from now. ;)

 

Requirement #1: Profile Info (2/3)

#6: Characteristics of my U.S. experience that might help others (ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation)

America is the land of opportunity and people who find foreign students a lot of fun. You will be instantly popular. I mean it.

Sexuality is a sensitive issue in the U.S. Wait a bit before you decide to flaunt who you are (whether you lean toward the straighter end OR you identify as gay/lesbian). Please don't misunderstand, you need to be able to express yourself! Definitely. Just don't assume that literally every person you come across will see things the same way you do.

If anyone in the U.S. gives you a hard time about your religion, they're not worth your time. People here are very flexible in terms of accommodating whatever beliefs/practices you adhere to.

There is a tendency in U.S. schools to slack off and not care (a standard which seems less and less prevalent in other countries). If you have a good work ethic, it might be a challenge to stay motivated, but you just have to find a reason to love where you are. 

America is full of quirks. Enjoy it!

Requirement #1: Profile Info (1/3)

#1: Previous study or living abroad/travel experiences I have had

Regretfully, I've never actually studied/lived/traveled abroad. The closest thing I've ever come to any of those is the two weeks I spent in 2009 visiting relatives in Puerto Rico, which could hardly be considered traveling abroad.

#2: My school and/or study in the U.S. program(s)  

I currently attend Kent County High School, which, for those who aren't familiar with it, is
       a). the only high school in ALL of Kent County (hence the name)(we're not super creative with names)
       b). surrounded on 3 sides by cornfields.
       c). made up of 650 students. To me, that's a lot but I've been told it's not.

#3: My home country(s)

My only country of residence so far is the United States, but I've always wondered if I would feel more at home somewhere else. America is a fantastic country, don't get me wrong, but one of the reasons Ayusa appealed to me was because I want the chance to live somewhere totally different from where I am now. I can't go through life assuming that my reality is the same as everyone elses'.

#4: Languages I speak other than English (if any)

Fluently? None.

#5: What my fears/concerns about going to the U.S. were

I'm not sure how to tackle this question, seeing as I am IN THE UNITED STATES.
I'll pretend that says Japan.
---I know right now that the first week will be 20 kinds of ridiculous. It's a fact I'm willing to accept. No matter how hard I study, there is no better teacher than experience (except maybe Robin Williams in "Dead Poets Society").
---I'm concerned that since I will be departing in the spring, I won't be as prepared for college the following semester (in terms of paperwork and all). I suppose I'll just have to Skype my parents when that part comes along, but oy. I don't know... . . . .
---I don't like sushi.

An Explanation

 

Hi, all!

I'm not quite sure how blogs go, seeing as I'm hopeless when it comes to self-promotion and computers are not my strong suit. But I'd like to think that I'm an adventurous person, which means that I'm willing to jump into almost anything, including the mystifying world of online journals.

Let me begin by explaining briefly - before anyone says "TLDR"* - what I'm here for. I've applied through Ayusa Study Abroad to study in Japan the second half of this coming school year; my senior year. If accepted, I would spend January - June of 2013 in a completely foreign country living with a host family and attending a local high school, all in a language I am still learning. とても嬉しい！**

Having made it past Phase 1 of the application process (paperwork), I am now in Phase 2. This means I have been enrolled in a "Global Student" online course. As part of the requirement, I need to keep an "Info Log" of my time spent preparing. And voila. A blog.

So, here I am, eagerly awaiting the not-so-distant future when a "yay-or-nay" arrives in my mailbox (virtual or not), so that with any luck, by this time next year, I will be returning from Japan.          8) <-----sunglasses for added coolness






*Abbreviation for "too long, didn't read". Like the NPR article you clicked on, only to find that it's four pages of pointless interviews. Or the iTunes policy agreement.
** Reads: "Totemo ureshii!" which means, "So excited!"