"Why Japan?"

I still can’t believe that I’m actually going to live in Japan for a year. I can’t really comprehend that on August 24th, I’m actually going to step onto that plane, leaving my family waving in the terminal, and everything else that’s familiar to me behind. It’s surreal. And I don’t think other people can really believe it either. The question I’ve been asked the most concerning my exchange, even more than “are you excited?”, is “why Japan?” I don’t think this is a reflection on the country at all, but rather on me, and specifically me, going to Japan. You see, if you know me, and you know anything about Japan, you know that I am possibly the most un-Japanese like person to have ever lived.

“And the award for Person-Least-Likely-To-Ever-Live-In-Japan goes to……Margaret Haney!”

Don’t get me wrong, I’m immensely thrilled to be going to Japan, and I wouldn’t have it any other way, and after all, I did choose it (for the most part), but why I would choose Japan, I think it baffles people. I know it still baffles me. So when someone asks me, “why Japan?”, I have to laugh, because I don’t logically know. But I will say this: I was naturally inclined towards Japan because it was an unpopular choice among the students of our district. For whatever reason, there was very little interest shown this year towards Japan (and Asia in general) this year. And I am the sort of person who has to root for the underdog and is always inclined towards the unpopular and the uncommon. I also felt like, “hey, I have an ridiculous opportunity to go basically anywhere in the world, why not go somewhere different and unknown to me?”

And isn’t that kind of the point of being an exchange student? To represent your home country while experiencing a new culture, to share your culture and learn about theirs? I guess I’ll find out soon enough. I leave in 7 weeks.