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For years I have been learning the Japanese language and FINALLY, I have been put in an environment where it’s something I hear everywhere, all day, every day, it’s been music to my ears. For these past couple of months, I have truly enjoyed reading, writing, speaking, and conversing in Japanese every day with the people around me. Although I am still learning, it feels like all my hard work of learning the language has paid off.

I have stayed in the Tokyo area, but I got the amazing opportunity to go on a 3-day excursion trip to Kyoto with a couple of students in my Japanese Studies Program and here I were able to be immersed in more Japanese culture by visiting temples, shrines, shopping districts, historical landmarks etc. We went from Tokyo to Kyoto by riding Japan’s bullet train, the shinkansen, so it also felt super amazing to travel in one of the world’s fastest trains. I couldn’t feel the speed, but I could sure see it from the window!

At my university, I am a part of two classes that have a mix of Japanese-track students and English-track students. The professors were born in Japan but studied abroad and also taught in America, it was so amazing to hear their stories and experiences. The class is taught in English, so anybody can join, including Japanese students if they are on the E-Track. My university holds many international students, so these classes are my favorite as they are very unique since they hold students from all over the world. I love my classmates and I always look forward to the different conversations and ideas we will all exchange as many perspectives are being told. 

My favorite part of being in my program is that I get to engage in a homestay. My host family is super kind and being in a homestay has made me connect with the culture and what life in Japan is really like. From the long commute to and from school, to what I eat, and to how I have had to adapt to day-to-day situations like a normal citizen in Japan would, this whole experience has really made me feel like I am experiencing what it’s like to integrate into a new society.

Lastly, I would like to express my gratitude to the Ingrid H. and George L. Speros Scholarship for Study Abroad. This special opportunity means the world to me and your investment in my education abroad helped lighten the financial burden put upon me. I will be forever grateful.

Ivette visiting Mount Fuji: