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2011 JET-MIP ESSAYJANUARY, 2012: BREEZE ISSUE #51
A FREE MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER FOR FRIENDS OF JAPAN & TEACHERS OF JAPANESEEMILY FRIEDENSOHNVERMONTESSEX HIGH SCHOOL
To me a plane signifies all times when boundaries are crossed, it's not until I'm on an actual plane, when I
realize that I'm traveling. This is all I knew, going from country to country exploring all that each had tooffer. This plane ride was different though because for the first time I was traveling to a country that I only
dreamed of traveling to. I've spent my life traveling throughout Asia but I've never had a more inherent
need to travel to Japan.
My senior year in high school, I realized my chances for an exchange program were dwindling. I would notbe able to experience Japan from a high school perspective. When I applied to this program I was dubiousof whether or not I would be chosen for such a wonderful opportunity. My Japanese language skills were
shoddy but what I lacked in my Japanese I made up for in my knowledge of Japanese culture and overall
enthusiasm. Through my travels abroad and my years living in Asia, I have learnt to have the utmost
respect the countries that I visit and the ones that I live in. It's more that keeping an open mind. To
appreciate a country from it's core you must completely immerse yourself within every facet.
Studying at the Kansai language institute was a wonderful way of experiencing Japan. Although short, JETMIP gave me a taste of all that Japan had to offer. It revealed the traditional aspects and cultural aspects,
in a variety of situations. Through visits to the temples, local high schools and our home stays we wereable to experience these particular facets of Japan in ways that we otherwise would not necessarily beable to experience on an average trip to Japan.
Throughout the program, my love of Japan grew even stronger. I wanted to see more, I wanted to see
everything. The visits to the high schools where great and it was exciting, for that brief period of time to
be able to take a class in a Japanese high school. I found the home stay to be another thing entirely. Itwas a great way for us to be able to experience what living in a Japanese family was like. What I enjoyed
the most, oddly enough, was not the tourist trip to Kobe that my host parents took me on, but rather being
with the family, doing things they would do if I weren't a guest at their house. A visit to the old age home
to visit their grandmother and attending the small matsuri outside of the nursery. Celebrating my hostmothers birthday, helping her cook ( I especially liked helping with the takuyaki), sharing words with theguests they had over that night. It was wonderful and I couldn't have asked for more.

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I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to go on this trip. It was truly an eye opener and has made mypassion for Japan grow tremendously. In the future I will be sure to continue with my Japanese studies
and visit the most beautiful nation many times after.

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2011 J-LEAP Report: Sayaka Hanami

2011 J-LEAP Report: Shota Kinjo

2011 JET-MIP Essay: Emily Friedensohn

2011 JET-MIP Essay: Kaleialoha Nishimura

2011 JET-MIP Essay: Thomas Cude

2011 JET-MIP Essay: Dominik Mikulcik

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