Introduction and Thank You

Welcome! Welcome to what will be my blog for my 2012-2013 Japan Study Abroad! I had a bit of a rough start with this blog since it was marked as spam upon creation, but my appeal was successful so everything should be good now. I know a lot of you are probably coming here from a note I will be posting to Facebook, so supposing I lose access again, I'll inform you of where the alternate location to follow my adventures will be. For the moment, this is the official location by which to follow my adventures in Japan for this academic year.

I'll introduce myself again for those not coming via my Facebook note. I am Zach Drew, a super senior at Texas A&M University. I am going on an Academic Year Study Abroad to Japan as a reciprocal exchange student at Kwansei Gakuin University. This is a decision I came to as I approached the end of the Japanese Language Courses offered at Texas A&M University. I still need International Experience for my International Studies major, but fulfilling a requirement is not why I am going to Japan. I am a student of the Japanese language and I refuse to stop until there is nothing left to learn. I am going to Japan for the purpose of continuing my language studies as well as expanding my cultural knowledge of Japan. I'm not concerned with filling out a box on my transcript as much as I am with learning even more than I have now.

So now, here I am three days before I depart America. I have filled out forms too numerous to count and met with all kinds of people to get this trip to become a reality. While I've done everything in my power to go to Kwansei Gakuin University, I didn't get here alone, so I must first say thank you to everyone who has gotten me to this point. (I don't know how everyone else feels about having their names written out, so I'm choosing to address you in a way that might seem impersonal.)

Thank you, Japanese Professors at Texas A&M University! Back when I had completed Japanese 101, my parents had suggested that I could major in Japanese at an alternate university in Texas. I couldn't possibly leave the Japanese program at Texas A&M; I trusted the teaching methods and professors teaching them completely and I still trust you. I would remain to that decision that I made back in Fall 2009 today. Thank you for your guidance and thank you for your patience whenever I came to you with new questions. I could tell that you cared that we all learned the material, even if that material was beyond the textbooks for our classes. My Japanese classes at Texas A&M were some of my finest educational experiences. They were the most pleasing education enrollment I've undertaken.

Thank you, my fellow Japanese classmates! I know not everyone kept at it until Japanese 302, I know there were many that stopped at some earlier class, but I thank you all the same. I would not have looked forward to class as much if my peers weren't equally as interested, but I'm happy to know that everyone else was equally engaged with the material. You all aren't just classmates, but friends. I'm glad to have met all of you.

Thank you, Japanese conversation partners that came to our Japanese classes! I enjoyed practicing and conversing with you guys. I hope I get to see those who have returned to Japan when I go over there!

Also, thank you, fellow TAMU in Tokyo 2010 participants! I really regret that we all parted ways for the most part following the conclusion of that program. I know I seemed a bit grouchy during the program, but I do consider you all to be my friends. I just think my first experience with culture shock went a little sour, so that you experienced that and if you still harbor any ill feelings about me. If I could go back, I would be more positive. I did enjoy my time there and with you all, even if it didn't seem like I did at the time. I'm still hoping that we can have a TAMU in Tokyo 2010 reunion of sorts sometime, but I guess we won't get the chance.

Thank you, friends! Many of you weren't directly involved with my interests in Japan, but you all have had some kind of indirect impact on the decisions that have led me to this trip. I know I came to a decision to pursue my studies of the Japanese language full-time because of some of the conversations I had with some of you. That's how I came to the realization that I didn't want to pursue business as my major.

Finally, thank you to my family and extended family, especially my parents! I know it's difficult for you to see me go, but I'm glad to know that you support what I'm doing. I'm glad that you never made me feel like doing something like going to Japan was beyond my grasp. I love you and I will miss you! It will be difficult parting ways at the airport terminal, but it's just something that will have to happen. Life goes on. (And thank you to our cats. I'll keep this short since you all weren't too involved with this whole process (and probably didn't care) and since cats can't read English (as far as I know), but thanks for putting up with my shenanigans this summer.)

...and thank you for reading, reader! I'll try to keep you updated! Expect more posts to come soon! I will be leaving for Japan on September 6th!