'Everything in the U.S. was bigger...'

By Chiharu Kusama

I applied for this program because of my longing to speak English and to go abroad​

However, what I gained in those 10 days was a hundred times more intense than I had imagined, and what I had longed for turned into a goal to become an English speaker and a dream to work internationally.

Before I met my host family, I was worried about whether or not I could speak English well. However, my host family took me to many fun places and talked to me a lot, so my nervousness gradually melted away. I am very happy and have the best memories of going to the neighborhood park with my buddy, going out and going to school together and gradually getting to know each other.
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I was very happy to be able to eat delicious American food that I longed for, such as hamburgers from IN-N-OUT BURGER, clam chowder from San Francisco, and chocolate ice cream from Ghirardelli Square!

In conversations with my host family, at first I didn't know how to say what I wanted to say, so I couldn't speak much. But since I had come all the way to the U.S., I wanted to be able to communicate. So I decided to speak up, even if I was worried about whether or not I was saying things the right way. I was very happy when I could communicate well and learned the importance of challenge.

The most memorable difference between Japan and the U.S. that I felt through this program was that everything in the U.S. was bigger. It was not simply the size of the land, but also the hearts of the people. Many people were bright-minded and open-minded, and at the school I attended, even when I first met them, they spoke to me cheerfully and we became friends. My host family, shopkeepers, and friends were all friendly people, and I felt that the U.S. is a wonderful country. I would like to visit such a wonderful country again!

I would like to thank my host family for their willingness to accept me and everyone involved in this program.

Thank you very much.