Arigato!

Bev. Thanks for letting me tag along during the trip. I wouldn't have had fun by myself. It was fun going to the sento, right? And you were about to change your mind at the last minute. I already miss hanging out with you and Aja. Also, thanks for spending that short amount of time in Oahu with me. It was so nice to have a little more time with you guys. Hopefully I can make to Oahu more often now!

Aja. Thanks for helping me out that night. You didn't have to stay. You could have gone with the others. I felt so bad when I realized you were there. I think that's why I got up faster. You should have taken a picture of my hair though. That would have been the best picture of me for the whole trip! I have no idea how Yoko did that. It was all twisted. It was just weird, but it must have looked hilarious. You and Bev made my first trip by myself memorable.

Mango. You gave me the most memorable moments of the trip. I can't believe the stuff you were going to buy in Body Line. You just kept going and going (like the Energizer bunny). I didn't mind helping you either, so don't feel bad about it. It was rather fun watching you going back and forth around the store.

I want to see pictures of you wearing the outfits you bought from Body Line. I have some. Plus, I found patterns to make more outfits. Hopefully I make it to Oahu in August and I can show you them. I'll keep in touch.




Travis. Thanks for being there that night. I can't believe I cried that much. It must have been weird seeing me like that. That's the last time I do that!

Thanks for hanging out with me in Oahu. It beats waiting in the terminal. I can't believe you changed clothes. Why? I'll let you know whenever I stop by in Oahu. Maybe I'll come over more frequently.

Charlie. Thanks for keeping me company on the plane to and from Japan. So I hope I disproved your assumption of people from Maui. Not all people from upcountry speak with a pidgin accent. Plus, I didn't grow up upcountry.

Thanks for the cream puff and coffee in Oahu. I really needed it. In the end, I was so tired that the coffee had no affect on me. I hate jet lag. When I come to Oahu, we should all hang out again!

Terry and Shawn. Thanks for making me feel comfortable when I came to Oahu. I was so afraid that I wouldn't get to talk much with anyone since I didn't go to the orientation. You are so kind. I'll always remember Terry and his Mega McMe. I have to see a picture of that. Was it satisfying?

Judy. I wish we had more time to hang out. We only had that one day in Harajuku. You're so kind. Yes, we all need to dress up in our outfits and take a group picture. I still have to find shoes though.

Vince. Thank you for lending me your jacket the day we were in Kamakura. I was very cold and was afraid of catching a cold. (本当に ありがとう! 優しいな人).

Everyone else. Thanks for making my first trip abroad a memorable one. At first I was afraid because it seemed I was out of the loop and wouldn't fit in. You all made me feel like I was with you from the start of orientation.

Yoko 先輩. Thank you for helping me with my Japanese. It was nice trying my speaking skills. It has been a long time since I had to speak to someone in Japanese. I was so afraid.

Thank you for helping me out that night. I don't know what happened. How long did it take to wake me up? I'm so sorry about that. I still can't believe I cried. I never cried before. 初めて.



Last, but not least, Jayson. Thank you so much for allowing me to take this course! I don't know what I would have done if you required me to go to classroom sessions. I'm very grateful that you created a course like this. It's too bad that unexpected things occurred.

Thank you for breaking me out of my sheltered life. Before this trip, I have never left the state, let alone take a vacation. I didn't know what to expect. After witnessing the things mentioned in Confucius Lives Next Door, I felt more at ease with Tokyo. By the end of the trip, I didn't want to leave.

I know you mentioned studying in Japan, but I'm afraid to leave everything here on Maui. I'm still thinking about it though. I just don't know how I can fit it into my life. Maybe if I weren't so attached to everyone, I would have an easier time.