Faith Taylor - Fall 2022
The memories I’ve made during my first four months here in Japan will stick with me until the end. I’ve made so many amazing friends and have also made so much progress with learning Japanese. Deciding to study abroad was one of the best decisions I could have made. It is because of your kindness that I was able to even do this so I want to say thank you so much.
Currently I study Japanese at Nanzan University in Nagoya. The program is very intense but the teachers are amazing and everyday I find myself being able to understand more and more.
It’s such a rewarding experience. Not only have I been studying but I have been exploring Nagoya and the surrounding areas. My favorite travel destination so far has been Takayama and Shirakawa-go! They are right inside of the Japanese alps and are absolutely amazing. Both Takayama and Shirakawa-go are historic places and have been preserved beautifully. You feel like you’re being transported right back into the Edo period when visiting these areas. I am a person who loves nature so being able to take a break from the hustle and bustle of city life and walk around small towns surrounded by nature was so refreshing!
I have also made so many new friends! One of the best things about studying abroad is that you can meet people from all over. Some of my new closest friends are from Lithuania and England; we would have never crossed paths had we not chosen to study abroad! I love being able to learn about different cultures alongside learning about Japanese culture. I also live with a host family.
They are a bit older (both are 73 years old) so they often joke that they are more like grandparents than parents. I really enjoy staying with them and they do their best to make it feel like we are a real family. We’ve gone to dinner together, orchestral performances, we’ve gone to shrines and to view the momiji leaves. They even took me to dinner for my birthday! It’s also really nice to sit down and chat with them. I’m amazed at how much I can actually understand now.
I’m excited for the upcoming winter break. Though school is fun it has been exhausting and I’m looking forward to not needing to get up early to attend a 9 am class every day. I’m also excited for the spring semester too though. I can’t wait to meet the new incoming students and to see the cherry blossoms bloom! Since we have a few breaks next semester I am also planning to continue traveling. I would like to visit Okinawa and Hokkaido! Maybe Seoul, South Korea as well, if I am able to.
Once again I would like to say thank you so much for your help in my journey to Japan. Without it I would not be able to write about all the amazing experiences I’ve had so far, nor would I have been able to progress so quickly in my Japanese skills. Before coming here I was not even able to write essays and now I can write a short essay in 15 minutes!
Sincerely,
Faith Taylor
P.S If you would like to keep up with my journey in Japan, I’m actually on tiktok. I know it’s a bit silly but I do post short videos. Mainly for my friends and family at home but also so I’ll have something to look back on when I return home in May. My page’s is “faitht25” if you would like to have a look!
