I first encountered Japanese growing up watching anime instead of regular cartoons. I became interested in Japanese when it kept showing up in my life, in games, books, T.V, and most of all school. I took world history and was fascinated by Japan's history and culture. I did essays on samurai and had to write haikus. Then, I learned, about WW2 and the Japanese interment camps. I was truly fascinated. My bestfriend knew a lot of foreign exchange students and her aunt is a host for exchange students. So, I became interested in studying abroad. I came across vlogs on YouTube where students were on exchange in Japan. I thought it was cool and that it was a very rewarding experience for those people. I started learning more about Japan's culture and I learned the rewards of studying abroad. My dream is to go on exchange in Japan to fully immerse myself in the culture and customs that I have fallen in love with.