Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie

[Verbena Reynoso]

Oneof my favorite parts of the trip was the home stay and meeting my host family was so nerve wracking for me. I was terrified I would mess up or insult them with my lack of cultural knowledge but they were completely accepting of me. We went to Universal Studio Japan and rode the Harry Potter, Spiderman and Jaws rides. Then after my host mother made us 手巻き寿司 or hand-rolled sushi which was so delicious! On my second day with them, we went to Kyoto and rented yukata. We were able to wear these beautiful yukata all day and we walked all over even though it was very hot outside. We had dinner at an okonomiyaki restaurant before they brought me back to the high school to say goodbye. Saying goodbye to them was one of the hardest parts of the trip for me. I ended up crying which made my host sister also cry. I hope to visit them again and I want to remain life-long friends with my host sister.

One of the most lasting effects this program has had on me was that it helped me overcome my fear of talking to others in Japanese. Before going to Japan, I would never have been able to strike up a conversation but I now love being able to walk up to others and talk. Being in Japan has solidified by desire to continue learning Japanese and to make more connections in communities all over the world. I am so ready to start college and learn from my teachers and classmates. One of my hopes is that I can participate in the JET program after I graduate. I want to teach and inspire others as Monty Dickson and Taylor Anderson did.

To Taylor Anderson and Montgomery Dickson, I would want to tell them that they have left huge impressions on this world. Their families spoke of how bright and happy they were and how dedicated they were to learning about Japan and its culture. I really wished I could have met them because of how people speak of them. I think the best way to remember them is to live life to the fullest and continue our path for learning Japanese.

While we were in Sendai, Claire and I went to a very cute cafe and ordered two parfaits. Mine was a black tea parfait and hers was a chocolate parfait. They were so delicious and were filled with ice cream, mochi and jellies. I chose this photo because this parfait was amazing and I really wish I could have this here in America.

3a8082e126