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2014 JET-MIP REPORT: DARRIAN BOYDSEPTEMBER, 2014: BREEZE ISSUE #83
A FREE MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER FOR FRIENDS OF JAPAN & TEACHERS OF JAPANESEDARRIAN BOYD
University Laboratory High School at UIUC
Urbana, IL
On July 8, 2014, I was able to make my biggest dreamcome true when I flew out of Los Angeles, California, forJapan. It was the best experience of my life thus far, andI’m literally counting how many days I have left until I cango back.
I’ve known for a while now that Japanese was going to bein my life somehow, but I didn’t know to what extent. Iwent into this trip thinking that if it went well, I was going to come back and apply for a college where I
can major in Japanese, and then do something with that. I was completely on the mark. I had a wonderfultime in Japan, and I think this program was what made it better than any school trip that I could go on.
We went to Osaka, Nara, Sendai, Ishinomaki, Tokyo, and Kyoto, and I loved every single place. Eventhough we didn’t make it to Rikuzentakata, I still had a blast. I loved our place at the Kansai Institute in
Osaka. It was a great place for all of us to hang out, and it was usually pretty easy to find someone to go
exploring with. Along with the karaoke room, the library, the study room, and the lounges, it was a greatplace to hang out with everyone from the trip. It’s easily one of my favorite places in Japan, just becauseof all the memories that I shared with everyone else.
It was also nice how much free time that we were allotted, because on other trips that I’ve been on,
students are usually restricted to staying with teachers all the time, and not being allowed to be off ontheir own, but it was completely different this time around. We were allowed to go exploring pretty much
every place we went to.
Now, I can’t even begin to talk about everyone else on my trip. I had no idea how I well I’d be able tointeract with the other kids, but I made 31 new friends in the smallest time period ever. I couldn’t believe
how easy it was to find at least something in common with everyone. Even though I'd just met everyone,
we all were able to connect over this country in some way or another, be it through culture, through thelanguage, or through manga/anime.

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I've been wanting to go to Japan since I was in the 5th grade and I'd read my first manga. My love for thiscountry has developed throughout the years into something that I literally didn't expect. When I was a kid,
I thought that I was supposed to become a doctor and that that would be the only way for me to be
successful in life. Meanwhile, I had this thing on the side that made me most happy. I love talking topeople about it, I love learning things in Japanese class, I love trying to reach people (including mymother, who I currently call "kaa-san"), I really love it all.
While on the trip I never especially got "homesick." Instead, when I got there, it felt like coming home. I
have a few places in the US where I can feel completely at ease. I found that Japan really is one of thoseplaces. It actually took me by surprise. I was expecting that I'd get to Japan, and it would be a great
experience, but then I'd realize that I was too far from home, and I'd be excited to go back to my homecountry. But the truth was, I'd never felt more at home in my life. The places I saw, the friends I grew tolove, the people I met, the cultures I experienced, are all memories that will stay with me for the rest of mylife. Nothing can take them from me. And as I go through this school year, and apply for colleges, I'll know
with every fibre of my being, that I'm going the right path for me by applying to schools with a Japanesemajor. I might not know exactly how I want Japan in my life quite yet, but I do know that Japan will have astrong presence as long as I have anything to say about it.
Taylor Anderson and Montgomery Dickson. You two have something in common. You both love thisamazing country and all its inhabitants. This is an unconditional love that cannot be changed. The time you
spent there, the lives you changed, will never ever be forgotten. Unfortunately, while following yourdreams, you both lost your lives. Throughout my trip I was able to see your legacy, what and who you leftbehind. This isn't a bad thing. You changed so many people for the better. I just hope that one day, I canchange people's lives like you once did. I feel your souls watching over all 32 of us, along with theprevious members, and the members to come, silently wishing us luck from the shadows.

NIPPON THROUGH MY EYES PHOTO SUBMISSION“Suzuna and Todaiji”
This is a picture of my host sister, Todaiji temple, and I. I
love this photo because Nara was a wonderful place toexplore, and I loved this temple, like a lot of puerile do,
because of the deer.

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2014 J-LEAP Orientation2014 JET-MIP Report: Darrian Boyd2014 JET-MIP Report: Sierra Dunn

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