Nearly two months ago I was waiting for my physics class to start and to pass the time I was looking at the bulletin board near the door to my classroom and noticed a poster for a study abroad program. The program was something outside of school so it was different than your average exchange. The program was for studying either Japanese language or culture in a small city called Ojiya. I tore off one of the slips of paper with the information on it and put it in my pocket before heading to class. A couple days later I pulled out the slip and checked out the website. It looked perfect.
After thinking for a couple days I approached my mom and told her about the program and sent her the website. She looked at it and sent the website to my uncle while I was at school and she was very supportive of the idea by the time I got home in the evening. She said I would be expected to work in community while in Japan and pay for part of my tuition, both which I am more than happy to do.
The application required that you have a passport that was valid for at least six months after you complete the program and my passport would not last that long so I looked up all the regulations and was able to apply for a new passport the next day. I got up the courage to email the program asking to reserve a spot while I was waiting to get my passport back and I was told to start the application and worry about the passport later. This blog was started around that time too. Over the next month I filled out the application form, answered some questions, met with a student from the program, and asked my teachers for references. My Japanese teacher sent my reference on Friday so I have now officially completed the application process. I don't even know how to thank my teacher enough. She wrote me a very nice reference.
I was accepted to the program and asked to come to Japan soon. All that's left is passport information and picking flights (and probably a million other things but for now those are the two main things). The last email I received was actually completely in Japanese. I couldn't really understand all of it so I asked my aunt and uncle to help me translate it and they did translate it for me but also pointed out it was easy Japanese (hiragana and a couple simple kanji, easy phrases). Now I have to go translate it myself too just to save my pride a bit XD.
Anyway, I HIGHLY recommend the program and will most likely be spending part of the summer in Japan.
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