My Goals for YFU~

   This summer program is neither a tourist trip nor a business trip, so I've just been jotting down a few goals I have for this summer program to help me make the most of my exchange experience. They are as follows~ (^^)

• To gain more independence~ I applied for this program all by my own desire to study abroad. People have been telling me what a scary thing it is to study abroad for six weeks, to be away from home and family/friends. I am positive I will get lonely at times, but I do not think this is at all scary. I want to show them and myself that I am mature enough to learn and grow from living internationally for six weeks! 
• To never be silent in the presence of a stranger~ I plan to talk to as many people as I can while in Japan. I have realized you can learn a great deal in a foreign country by interacting with neighbors, shop-keepers, people at restaurants, etc. I want to improve my language ability by conversing with everyone I can! haha
• To get past any language barriers I might come across~ I have already done a brief homestay in Japan with a Chinese girl whose family did not speak any English. I did not speak any Mandarin, but I had a stellar experience staying with Yujie and interacting with her and her family! One of the best experiences of my life! I do not believe there is a language-barrier you cannot get over, and getting over the language-barriers is always the most fun part of doing a home-stay ^^
• To take on a new religion~ In my application, I noted that I am not affiliated with any one religion. However, I also said I am open to take part in whatever religion my host family is affiliated with! Shintoism is the native religion to Japan, and you go to a shrine to pray to the Gods. Japanese Shinto shrines are magnificently beautiful, and I hope to visit a few this summer in Japan!! 
• To wear a Yukata at a summer festival~ This last goal is more personal...o(⌒―⌒)o  I've realized that I will be in Japan during 七夕 (star-viewing festival). This is my absolute favorite Japanese holiday! The story behind 七夕 is quite lovely, and I always celebrate it from home on July 7th, but now I will be able to celebrate it in Japan!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanabata

....Well, this is enough for tonight. To be honest, I have a very long list of goals, but it would be too much to list them all here at once~ more to be updated soon!!

    おやすみなさい！
  ~ Jane Claire (^^)

Youth for Understanding

      Hello! My name is Jane Claire. I have studied Japanese for 5 years and have been interested in studying abroad for a very long time! I really love Japanese language and culture! Last summer (2012), I discovered the program "Youth for Understanding," which is an exchange program that is connected to nearly 40 countries around the world.
      Last summer, my Japanese teacher invited me to take part in the Kizuna Project, which was a cultural junior-ambassador's exchange program to 3.11 Tsunami and Earthquake affected areas of Japan. Yes, on this trip we visited many, many devistated areas of Japan; However, the Kizuna Project also showed us how strong Japan had been after this disaster, and it also showed us first hand what an amazing country Japan is! This program was life changing for me, and really set my love for Japan into motion.
     Coming back from the Kizuna Project, and considering that I was not a high school student, I decided that it was time to apply for a summer exchange program!
    Out of all exchange programs I researched, Youth for Understanding (yfu) was the cheapest, was the longest running organization, and had the most scholarships to Japan! (: I think this is a great organization! I recommend it to anyone~ haha!
   I applied to a 2013 summer program to Japan through yfu in January 2013, and I received an acceptance letter with a T-shirt and my scholarship information on April 4th! (: I won the Japan-America Friendship Scholarship (JAFS)! I will be departing for Japan this summer on June 17th and I will be there for 6 weeks.  This program includes staying with a Japanese host-family and attending a Japanese high school!
   I intend to document my experience with this program through many blog posts and vlogs on youtube! (: please check back for updates!

じゃね!
~Jane Claire (^^)

((If you are interested in studying abroad, visit the yfu website for more information! http://yfu-usa.org/ ))