First Things First

Okay, so one thing I have to do is post a letter I wrote to my scholarship sponsor thanking them for giving me my scholarship. So.... here it is. I think I actually overdid it a little... it's kind of corny...but whatever...

Dear Scholarship Sponsor,

Thank you so much for awarding me my scholarship. I know you probably hear that all the time, but I hope each time it means something to you. I know it means a whole lot to me.
Becoming an “AFSer” really thrills me. The cultures of other countries have always sparked an interest in me, no matter how I come to know what I know of them. Actually, my first real introduction to Japanese culture came from reading manga, Japanese comic books (translated into English for those U.S. readers who don’t know the writing system used in Japan), which I now collect. I became curious about the land where the books came from. I studied Japanese on my own (very slowly, in between homework and chores) and read a bit on the history and culture of the country. However, this wasn’t really enough to me. When a volunteer from AFS came to my school, her tales were the spark to set me off on this quest to travel to Japan as an exchange student.
Japan’s culture is quite different from that of the U.S., I know that already. However, what you can’t get from reading online or even perhaps a vacation (my previous idea, before I heard of AFS) is a real feel for the country’s perspective, how they view and relate to the world, other cultures, and one another. A tourist only sees the surface of the place they visit, the things they take pretty pictures of to hang on their walls at home. But I will get to see the reality, be a part of a family and live not as a foreign visitor who will stay, leave, and forget, but someone who will come to live as part of the culture, learn from it, and use that knowledge in the world. I’d like to explore the different societies of the Earth as much as possible, and find out as much as I can about each one. I hope this trip is the beginning of my learning. Even if an idea is completely the opposite of what I have been raised to know, I’ll still be gaining knowledge. This trip is also a fantastic chance to broaden my mind and receive new beliefs and perspectives, some I may have never even considered before. I also enjoy languages and though I mentioned I have studied Japanese a small bit, this is a much better way to learn it, or any language- hands-on. I’m truly excited for this adventure, for all the new people I will meet and the places I will see.

Thank you so much for helping me participate in this tremendous opportunity,
Kay