Line says, “My favorite things about here are that I get to see how different this country is from my own. I thought American food was fast food, but I found out that’s not true, and I love real American food. I like the people here and their attitude. To me, it’s interesting, different, and exciting. I enjoyed watching American sports like football, baseball, and basketball, which we know about but don’t play at home.
My absolute favorite was getting to travel and see so many different landscapes, people, cultures, and cities! We went to New York, New Orleans, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Galveston, Shreveport, Oklahoma, and many small cities. I absolutely loved it! I love the quote ‘don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game’ because it tells you don’t stop when things get hard.
I saw and experienced so many different things! I got to meet great people and made great friends that I hope I’ll stay in contact with for the rest of my life. This experience has truly been amazing and I learned a lot about the country, people, culture, and religions, and learned about myself. This time has been more than I could ever imagine and I’m so grateful for it. Yuki and I have fun memories, she is my best friend and like a sister to me. She is always there for me and is an amazing person. We went shopping, sat at breakfast together at school, played sing-star at night, and planned our outfits for school. Every memory has been so good that I cannot pick a favorite.”
Yuki says, “This year was really important to me. I’ve met incredible people that I’ll definitely keep in touch with when I go home. I traveled a lot through Texas. It’s been very fun to live with my host family and going to an American school.”
Their host mom says, “The girls were a great inspiration and were there for me whenever I needed them. They loved spaghetti sauce and wanted it all the time. They made a curry and meatball dish as well as a cheese bread for us to try. The best memory was when Yuki’s father got to watch her graduate and walk the stage via Facebook video on the IPad.”