Introduction

Hi! Welcome to Adventures in Hikone. :)

I figured I'd start with some basic information about the who, what, when, where, and why for my study abroad next semester.

Who: Me! And a bunch of other students (most of whom are from Michigan, and none of whom are Aggies...more on that later!)
What: Studying abroad in Japan. I am enrolling in a language-intensive program that consists of 10 hours of language courses a week and a 4-hour elective (in English!) of a random topic (either Japanese culture, film, or economics and business practices, depending on where they put me). I will be living in a dorm on-campus in a mini-apartment with a roommate, and I will be attending classes just across the street (which is something I'm really looking forward to).
When: I leave for Japan on January 3rd, arrive on the 4th, and classes start the 7th! Classes end April 16th but I won't be home until the 22nd because I'm swinging by Singapore first.
Where: Hikone, Japan! Vaguely, it's about halfway between Kyoto and Osaka, roughly in the middle of Japan. If you want to know its *exact* location, look for the lake that's close to Kyoto. That's Lake Biwa. If you look at the big part of the lake (Kyoto is near the small part), Shiga prefecture is on the southern shore. Hikone is about in the middle of that part of the shoreline. The university I'm attending is JCMU - the Japan Center for Michigan Universities. Shiga prefecture and Michigan have a sister-state relationship, and to encourage that relationship a consortium of Michigan universities united to build this campus. That's why most of the students are from Michigan - they are preferentially selected for this program. I'm sure there are more out-of-state students like me, but I haven't met them yet. :) If you want more info on JCMU, either for your own info or because you're thinking of studying abroad in Japan, definitely check them out. I chose them for a reason. :)
Why: Because I want to! I want to experience living in another country, surrounded by people with a totally different culture. I want to improve my Japanese language skills, something that is difficult to do when one is also taking 12-15 hours of science courses. I want to take a break from all of the labs and chemistry courses that have been stressing me out lately. And, I just want a change of pace.

This will definitely be an adventure! I'll be sure to keep you posted about the trip as I go - I promise the next post will have less talking and more pictures. Have a wonderful day!