2024 Travel Grant Recipients
Cynthia Gonzalez-Leon
Everett Alvarez High School
Joanna Moreno-Vides
Rancho San Juan High School
Joanna and Cynthia traveled to Japan last summer with New Perspectives Japan, joining a group of students from Kentlake High School in Washington. Their trip began at the Tokyo Olympic Center for orientation, followed by a homestay with a Japanese host family in Miyazaki (Kyushu), a high school immersion experience, and travel with the group to key cultural and historic sites around Japan.
Cynthia
Going to Japan was an eye-opening experience for me and something that, as I grow and move on in life will always be there in one way or another because it has taken such a big spot within the memories I’ve made throughout my 18 years of living. The first day I met my host family I knew that would be the best week. When my grandpa and my host sister came to pick me up, they both talked to me, and I tried my best to use my Japanese. As soon as we got home, my host grandpa pulled out his album FULL of pictures from his visits to America and we started to connect and form a bond. The week with my host family is one of the core memories of the trip, especially when my host sister and I exchanged our own languages, asking each other questions about Japan or America, seeing how my host family was open to learning about my own Mexican culture. Another memory I cherish is the little Tanabata party we had at my host family’s house. My family invited their friends over and by the end of that day, I truly felt like a part of the family. Laughing, playing, talking, eating, and getting along like it was just another holiday with my family back at home. I wished it could never end!
The trip to Japan also made an impact on me in different ways. I saw things that America doesn’t have and questioned why we can’t apply such measures and rules. It really made me think about how America might be if we were as respectful as people in Japan are. Would it then make it the America that really offers the picture of “The American Dream”? What else could we do to make America the place that we ALL dream of? For example, one of the places that showed how trusting Japan is of their citizens was the temples and shrines we visited. There were items out for sale with no one outside, and NO ONE takes one without paying. That would not be the case over here, but I wish it were.
This trip was such a huge learning and growing experience. And for that I will always be grateful!
(Cynthia is currently in her first year of college and looks forward to continuing the connection she formed with her host family in Miyazaki, Japan)
Joanna
My first thought upon arriving in Japan was that I could not believe I was there after four years of studying Japanese throughout high school. All the time I had dedicated to learning the language would finally be put to use. I was scared I would not be able to converse with those outside the Kentlake High School group I traveled to Japan with. I was scared yet excited. That first night I ate dinner at a small restaurant, located in a busy street, on a rainy humid night in Tokyo, where I had my first bowl of katsu don, miso soup, and learned how to use chopsticks.
I had many first experiences in Japan; starting with seeing a restroom in a busy park, made out of glass, feeding the deer in Nara Park, visiting shrines, eating local food, enjoying the Tanabata festival, and many more. My initial expectations did not compare to the reality of my experience in Japan. I thought I would be tired after a sixteen-hour flight, yet I had the energy to go out and explore the Olympic center and the nearby conbinis. Even after leaving at 8 in the morning on most days and exploring and sightseeing until eight to nine pm, at the end of the day, I still had the energy to go out and see more. I was constantly curious about everything I could see, hear, smell, touch, or taste. Japan blew my expectations out of the window, it ended up being so much better than what I had initially expected.
One of the aspects that I found most fascinating was truly how respectful everyone was about their surroundings. Starting from the airport, the trains, the streets, and even the restaurants, everyone was always reserved, mindful, and respectful of everyone around them. On the train, I saw so many people giving up their seats to the elderly, expectant mothers, and those who were sick. When walking on the streets of Kamakura, we could not find a single trash can to throw our garbage but saw a multitude of people carrying their trash from the train station, all the way to the Daibutsu shrine. It was a big culture shock especially since people in the United States simply throw their trash on the side of the road and make messes for others if they cannot find a trash can near them, yet in Japan, they would rather carry their litter than throw it on the street. Another aspect I found fascinating was how affordable eating out was compared to making meals at home. Most meals I ate for the day cost under one thousand-five hundred yen, however when I was staying with my host family in Takanabe, Miyazaki prefecture, grocery store prices ranged from five hundred to eight hundred yen per item. I thought it was odd because, in America, it would be cheaper to buy ingredients and make a meal at home rather than dining at a restaurant. In Japan, meals are affordable, filling, and healthy.
My favorite dishes I tried in Japan were Miyazaki’s famous chicken nanban, kakigori, okonomiyaki, and shoyu ramen. On the first day of school at Takanabe, my host sister bought me a chicken nanban sandwich. I loved it so much that I ate chicken nanban seven times in the seven days I stayed in Miyazaki. My host family knew I loved chicken nanban so much that on the last day we had together, they took me to a famous local chicken nanban restaurant in Nichinan. I was able to try my first cream soda as well. I also ate kakigori often, mostly due to the hot, humid weather in Takanabe. In one day, I hit a record of eating four kakigoris. My favorite kakigori was at Udo Cafe at Udo-Jingu Shrine. It was humongous and tasted delicious.
The most memorable part of my trip was with my host family. That experience showed me how quickly we can make connections with other people, even if we do not always understand each other. I loved my host family and cried a lot when I had to say goodbye to them at the end of the week. I made so many meaningful memories with them. My host family will always be my favorite memory of my Japan trip.
I faced many challenges and obstacles while in Japan. Due to it being a busy tourist season during the time I visited, everything was busy. The train stations were always full, tourists were loitering around the bus stations, and overall most places had no more capacity for people visiting. I had to learn how to ride a bus, a train, and how layovers work in large international airports. I never thought I would have the opportunity to ride a train, yet every day I spent in Tokyo and Kyoto, I took a minimum of five train rides. It was such an amazing opportunity. I learned how to ride a bus as well. I was scared of buses and fares before the trip, but my trip mate Cyruss, who had visited Japan four times before this trip, helped our group navigate through the busy streets, train stations, and bus rides. Because of his help throughout our trip, I feel confident that I could go back to Japan and navigate through Kyoto by myself.
This trip influenced my thoughts about travel. I had never had a layover in a large city, traveled by bus, or train, or walked to so many places before. However, after this trip, I am more open to all these experiences. I plan to visit El Salvador with a layover in Texas because of the amazing layovers I was able to experience in Japan. This opportunity to visit Japan has influenced me to pursue a study abroad program for my junior year of college, where I will be able to participate in a nursing program in Osaka through Mount Saint Mary’s University.
(Joanna is in her first year in the nursing program at Mount Saint Mary’s University)