去年9月にテキサス州 ライス大学から留学に来たクリス・ジョンソンさんが一学期目を終
えた感想と2学期目に向けての思いをニュースレターに寄せてくれました。今回が初めて
の国外生活というクリスさん、最初の学期はどんな一学期になったでしょうか。
One of the academic-year student, Chris Johnson from Rice University, shared his
thoughts after his 1st semester in Japan. It was surprising to hear that it was his first
time being outside of the country! He must have experienced so many new things for
the first 4 months here in Japan. We are excited to have him back for the next semester with other 3 academic-year students and 29 new students!!
At dinner table during an IES sponsored trip
of things, four months isn't that long-s of a
long time, it's difficult trying to sum up this
past semester's experiences without generalizing too much. From day one, it's been
a great feeling walking around and having
everything you see or do be an entirely
new experience. A new group of great
friends, new food, new places- while
there's certainly something to be said for
enjoying the safe and familiar, there's a
true joy in experiencing the novel and the
unknown. The occasional day spent doing
nothing aside, it's been a whirlwind of field
trips, school, and adventures with friends,
and I wouldn't have had it any other way.
Four months down, and I've managed not to get kicked out of the country,
More specifically, though, it'd be
get hopelessly lost, or die from a food alhard for me to talk about this past semeslergy. I'll consider this first semester a sucter without expressing how thankful I am
cess.
for how great my homestay family's been.
Being completely honest, making the deciI'm Chris Johnson, and for this
academic year, I've been studying here in sion to do a homestay wasn't an easy one,
but I'm tremendously happy that I did.
Tokyo with IES Abroad. Childhood vacaWhether it was sightseeing in various pretions aside, this was my first legitimate
fectures, playing Smash Bros. with my
time being out of the country and away
host cousins, or just having a nightly confrom home. Flying out of Houston on my
14-plus hour flight, I honestly didn't know versation around the dinner table, it's without any hesitation that I can say that this
what to expect. Despite reading as much
was one of the best decisions I made with
as I could, stalking previous years' blog
regard to my time abroad. After a long day,
posts online, and trying to prepare to the
greatest extent possible, I was still appre- and a long train ride, it's always a great
feeling to come home to a chorus of
hensive about this whole “living in a foreign country” thing. With some poor choic- “Okaerinasai”! Every situation is different,
and while not every living situation is ideal,
es, you can weather through the consequences pretty easily, but a year is a long for me, I know these past four months
wouldn't have been nearly as enjoyable if I
time to suffer through a bad decision.
However, on the other side of that wasn't with my homestay family.
and downs. There are good days, and
there are bad days. But the former far outweigh the latter, and even when things
have gotten difficult, or when I've sorely
missed home, I've always been comforted
by the fact that the friends I've made here
have stood with me, and even in the lowest throes of adjusting to living here, I was
never far from an experience that reminded me why I chose to hop on this adventure in the first place.
Before long, I'll heading home for
the winter break, in-between semesters.
I've probably never experienced a faster
four months in my life. So long, Japan. I'll
see you again soon.
~Chris Johnson, Rice University~
（訳）国外追放もされず、ひどく迷子になっ
たり、アレルギーで死んだりすることもなく
4か月が過ぎました。僕の留学生活、最初の
1学期は無事成功に終わりました。
私、クリス・ジョンソンは、今回IES東京
のプログラムで日本に一年留学しています。
子供のころの旅行を除いては、家から離れて
国外で生活をするのはこれが初めてです。
14時間を超えるヒューストンからの長旅で
I'm sure it's true for just abo ut
uncertainty, I can genuinely say that these
everyone that studies abroad, but the pichave been some of the best experiences
ture would be incomplete without acknowlin my life so far.
Even though in the grand scheme edging that there have definitely been ups
ホストファミリーの親戚ともすっかり仲良し！