Together in Tohoku

This morning our students thanked their Tohoku host families for inviting them into their homes and helping them to create even more amazing experiences in Japan. 

Driving on the bus together gave us all an opportunity to share stories of what happened the day before and enjoy moments looking at beautiful rice fields and other distinctive characteristics of Tohoku’s scenery.

A little bit later, we all regrouped at a local community center and responded to specific reflections questions such as “if you had the opportunity to live in Japan for one year, would you prefer to live in Tokyo or Tohoku and why?” and “how would you describe your level of growth in terms of your maturity and language development now compared to at the beginning of the program?”

We then separated into two groups as we set off for our boat trip down the Geibi Gorge. While riding on our boat, we were able to enjoy the beautiful scenery and calming river sounds as we fed the ducks and fish and learned about unique features of the area while listening to our boat operator’s stories filled with fascinating details about the region's past. 

Later on, we stopped the boat on the side of the river and walked out and explored the area. On our way back, our boat conductor sang two moving songs for us which helped us to better appreciate the history and geography of Geibi Gorge. 

We later had a chance to have a bento break on the bus while many of us described aspects of Japan that we will miss when we go back to America. 

As we got closer and closer to our hotel near the airport, feelings of fatigue were replaced with anticipation and appreciation as we bonded and discussed our favorite places in Japan, anime and music recommendations, and pros and cons of our different schools in America.  

When we arrived at the hotel, we took a moment to gather our belongings and grab a bite to eat before our last group meeting. Our final meeting was filled with faces with tears of happiness and smiles as we all we expressed how much this experience has helped us to learn not only more about Japan, but also about ourselves through the friendships we've developed and challenges we've overcome throughout this experience. We hope that our adventures in Japan will help us to maintain our motivation and curiosity as we set out on new journeys buoyed by the progress that we made individually and together as a team. 

By Curtis Wright