Contact Us

SEARCH

Site Map

2015 JET-MIP ESSAY: HAILLEY DANIELSONOCTOBER, 2015: BREEZE ISSUE #96
A FREE MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER FOR FRIENDS OF JAPAN & TEACHERS OF
JAPANESEHAILLEY DANIELSONOWCZYNSKYSouthwest High School
Minneapolis, MN
I didn’t think I would get this opportunity. I still
think back and have the feeling of ‘oh, I won’t
get to go on the trip’ and I have to remind
myself that I did get to go on the trip. I could
not have imagined being chosen and getting tohave this experience. While excited, I was alsoterrified. I was so afraid of offending someone or making a fool of myself. Upon arriving, theJapanese people were welcoming and we were received with nothing but generosity andkindness. I cannot explain how thankful I am. They boosted my confidence immensely and truly
changed my life. Being immersed in the culture and customs was something I could never have
had here in the US. My two weeks in Japan were shaped and made memorable by the people I
encountered. These are memories and encounters I will be talking about for the rest of my life.
To be honest, I’m so sad it’s over.
Learning about the disaster was heart-breaking but confirmed what I already knew to be true; I
want to have a career in medicine and disaster relief. Hearing the stories from the people whosurvived and the stories of the people who did not, like Monty Dickson and Taylor Anderson,
made the pain and loss caused by these disaster much more real. We hear sometimes about
how it is easy to distance oneself from problems abroad but it is more true than I could
ever have known by being told so. You must experience it in person to see how different things
are from what the media portrays, or does not portray.

Privacy - Terms

Before the trip, I felt I had reached my limit for learning Japanese in a classroom setting. Six
years is a long time. That is, half of my school career. I was considering moving on to French. I
still plan to learn French but the trip completely renewed my love for the Japanese language aswell. I am now much more enthusiastic about continuing my studies. I want to become fluent inJapanese and return. I am desperate to get back to that amazing place. I can absolutely
imagine calling any town or city in Japan ‘my home’. What was before not really a plan for myfuture has been rapidly dragged into the spotlight by this trip. I want to complete my bachelor's
degree as before, but as soon as I finish, I want to become a JET.
Japan and Japanese culture have become something that I want to have in my life forever. I am
so grateful for the connections that I made with other people on this trip. They are people that I
hope to meet again someday.
Upon sharing my experiences, I find that people are deeply interested but terribly misinformed.
My family comes, for the most part, from a small town. Thus they have had little-to no exposure
to foreign cultures, let alone something so far away as Japan. As with Europe, anyone who
knows little of Asia often mixes up the country's people, cultures and languages.
Before returning, I dreaded the idea of telling and retelling the same stories to each new
person I saw. I have found, however, that I love telling the stories and I would gladly tell andretell them each a hundred times over. It is great fun, and I feel I’m doing a bit of good bydispelling stereotypes and properly informing previously misinformed people about Japaneseculture.

Personal Message to Monty and Taylor
Hello Monty. Hello Taylor, my name is Hailley. It’s an honor to write to you. I wish I could speakwith you. We talked with your father, Taylor; and your sister and friend, Monty. They are bothvery kind. They told us all about you, your love for life, and your journeys through becoming aJET and being one. Monty, you seemed, from the stories they told us about you, hilarious andgreat fun to be around. Did you know they made a movie for you Taylor? It’s so full ofadmiration and love for you. It is your loved ones, your mother, father and closest friends
talking about you, how you affected their lives and how much they miss you. I think it is terribly
sad that two people who lived life so fully were killed. You both have so many people wholoved you; still love you. It both warms and breaks my heart that you were so well loved. For
one, you had a positive effect on the lives of your family, friends and your students loved you.
But when someone that everyone loves dies, everyone is affected. That’s terribly sad. Your loss
is still grieved by those who knew you.
I never met you in person but our paths have crossed. You know a person was a good one
when they continue to have an influence, even after death. I want to thank you. Though it feels
wrong to thank you for something that resulted almost directly from your death. Then again, thePrivacy - Terms

reason was because you were loving and well loved people, who had a positive effect on thelives of those around you. So, I thank you for being altruistic human beings and living amemorable life even though it was cut short. Thank you.

NIPPON THROUGH MY EYES PHOTOSUBMISSION“The Shore in Kansai”
The ocean has a special place in my heart. So, getting thechance to visit it was greatly contenting.

Breeze #98

Breeze #97

Breeze #96

Japanese Langauge Education Update 232015 J-LEAP Report: Mio Tsutada

2015 JET-MIP Essay: Stephen Chen
Privacy - Terms2015 JET-MIP Essay: Josephine Dennis

2015 JET-MIP Essay: Hailley Danielson2015 JET-MIP Essay: Georgianna Eck

Breeze #95

Breeze #94

Breeze #93

Breeze #92

Breeze #91

Breeze #90

Breeze #89

Breeze #88

Breeze #87

Headquarters

New York Office

ボランティア募集

Center for Global PartnershipJapan Related Links

Volunteer

Job Openings (Updated)

5700 Wilshire blvd, Suite 100
Los Angeles, CA 90036
P. 323.761.7510

Privacy - Terms

Annual Report© 2019 The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles
Web Design.

Privacy - Terms