Going Abroad to Japan -- Day (original) (raw)

hajimemashite

1. Name, Age, Schooling!
Rachel.
21.
I am in junior college right now. I am actually majoring in Computer Science, but I have always wanted to learn Japanese and also about the culture and country. I have taken one year of Japanese, and I am about to continue into my second year. Then when I transfer to a university... probably in two years, so I will have a year without Japanese, I hope to take a third year. They only offer through 300-level nihongo there, so after that maybe I can try to practice with friends and the Japanese girls who come to my city to study at a school we have here.
Plus I plan to practice through LJ communities, writing letters to two of my Japanese friends, and watching tv shows (I love anime ^_^) and reading Japanese books.

2. Are you in Japan right now? If so, where?
No, but I want to go to Japan, at least for a little bit. I could probably not go for very long... because I am married and we own a house... I would still have to pay mortgage while I was gone.

3. Do you plan to go to Japan in the future? If so, when?
Yes.
I plan to save, save, save, and then go. However, that is not happening right now. We barely earn enough money to get by with me going to school and I work 25 hours a week and my husband works 35. My idea is to save and go over there for at least the summer after I get my degree. But as reality is playing out, I may not have that kind of money even for airfare, until some years after I get a real job.
So, it may be that I graduate and then get a real job and save my money. Then maybe a couple years after having a real job, I can go over there. And hopefully I will practice my Japanese during all of that time! ^_^

One of my questions is... how much do people spend when they go to Japan? This is assuming there is some sort of program to help you with housing and stuff...
I mean, I have no idea how much airfare is... and then there is eating, sight-seeing, and just shopping even... plus any other kinds of expenses...
I was figuring I needed at LEAST $2500, and probably more if I didn't want to have to be a stinge. Plus, I will need to have enough to pay the mortgage for the ammount of time I will be gone....

4. Give me some sort of idea about where you want to see this community go!

*shrugs*
Um.... I guess I would just love to read more info about going to Japan, getting ready to go to Japan, and being in Japan.... and I guess especially from an American's point of view, because that would be more like it would be for me if I ever go there... then if I were to read from a native's experiences... although that could be fun to read too. ^_^
I would just love to learn and hear about other's experiences.