Hello, I’m Naomi Popescu from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Overall I really enjoyed studying abroad in Japan. I like that this program offers the homestay experience, so I got to see typical life in Japan such as food and living spaces, and I could ask my host family a lot of questions about Japan. I also liked the experience of adapting to another country and comparing it to how life is like back home. Every day in Japan I’ve been able to do something interesting, such as discovering local restaurants, shopping for secondhand clothes, and going to baseball games.

I like being able to talk to Japanese students my age and improving my language skills at the same time. I’ve met a lot of interesting people on campus and especially at the LOFT where there’s a lot of Japanese students studying English. I made a lot of friends there who I will keep talking with even after leaving Japan, and I hope I can meet up with them in the future when I come back to Japan.

I’m really glad I took a chance to study abroad as I really improved my Japanese skills, especially talking. I wouldn’t have as many opportunities to speak Japanese in the US or be able to experience Japanese culture up close. Studying abroad is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity, so I encourage anyone who is considering studying abroad to take the leap and do it. In addition there are many scholarships available for those who want to study abroad, so it’s more accessible than you think!