By Heather Carr
Leaving your home to live in a foreign country where no one speaks your language may be daunting for most high school students, but Ariana Isbell (’16) is a different story.
Isbell, who is taking Japanese at FVHS, plans to travel to Japan this summer, where she will live with her host family for two weeks in the city of Anjo, located in central Japan.
During her trip, she expects to participate in a number of cultural events while touring some of the country’s historic sites, all which will be revealed to her after meeting her host family.
“What I do when I’m there is pretty much a surprise, because my family plans almost everything I do,” said Isbell. “However, I do know that I’ll be participating in the Tanabata festival.” Tanabata is a Japanese tradition in which people write their wishes on colorful strips of paper and hang them on bamboo branches.
Isbell hopes to try Nagashi Somen, an eating style in which noodles are served in a bamboo pipe filled with flowing water, wherein the diner must eat by catching one with their chopsticks, and visit temples in Kyoto.
To be eligible for this trip, one must be obtain a passport and be selected by the Sister City Association and show themselves to be a desirable representation of America during their stay.
“Arranging for the trip isn’t too difficult because the sister city association takes care of a lot for you,” Isbell said. “I just had to apply for a passport. Besides that, to be selected for this opportunity I had to show that I would be a good candidate to represent America and contribute to the program.”
Isbell’s appreciation for Japanese culture can be traced back to her childhood, and today, she continues to expand her interests in the subject by learning new facts about the country.
“I’ve been interested in Japan since I was very young,” she said. “I started out with video games and then anime.”
Her trip to Japan fuels her passion for learning more about the country, but according to Isbell, it also is beneficial in becoming a pivotal milestone in her life.
“I hope when I go to Japan I can really gain some insight about what it’s like to live in Japan, even though I’ll be there for only a short time,” she said. “I also want to improve my language skills, since I’ve only been able to study Japanese in America. Everyone I talk to says it’s a life-changing experience, so I look forward to whatever I discover on this adventure.”
