Almost there

Well, there are 15 days until I leave for L.A. and then 16 days until I get on my plane for Japan! I am very excited, especially since I have gotten an e-mail from my host family, the Kawaharas. Here is what they said:

Dear Mr. Taylor


How do you do?
We are your host family, Kawakawa.
We have gotten the paper about you from AFS.

How is Colorado Springs where you live?
Obu city where we live is calm city.
Your school is in Nagoya city, where you can go in about 20 minutes by
train.
Nagoya city is large in the third in Japan.

We want to take a trip to Kyoto and Nara with you.
Do you know Kyoto and Nara?
They are ancient city in Japan.
Please tell us the area where you want to go in Kyoto and Nara.
And we are going to watch Sumo wrestling with you.

We wish to share wonderful 40 days with you.

We are looking forward to meeting you as you do.


and here is what I responded with

Dear Mr. Kawahara,

I am doing great! I am very excited to meet your family and to visit the wonderful country of Japan. I actually go by my middle name "Chase" which I think in katakana would be チャセ。Chase was my grandfathers' mothers maiden name.

Colorado Springs is a wonderful place! We have the Rocky Mountains to the west and the plains to the east. Our weather is very strange. We can have snow, rain, and sun all in the same day! Colorado Springs is a military city. We have the United States Air Force Academy, two other U.S. Air Force bases, and Fort Carson, an Army base, to the south of us. We are about 45 minutes from the capital of Colorado, Denver. Colorado Springs is also the main entrance to the mountains. People pass through to go to the mountains to go skiing.

I go to school at Air Academy High School, which is actually located on the United States Air Force Academy, but it is a normal high school, not military. I have a 3.85 GPA there and will be becoming a senior next year. I researched the school where I will be going and I am very excited to see it in person. I am taking an online course from a college named Brigham Young University. I know a little bit of nihongo but I hope that by living with your family and taking the classes in Nagoya City, I will speak a lot of nihongo.

I've only heard of Kyoto and Nara briefly in World History. I will go wherever you think is amazing, even the 嵐山モンキーパークいわたやま . I also heard of the deer in Nara and would love to see them! I can't wait to see the Sumo Wrestling! I've never seen an actual match, only ones in movies, commercials, and kids shows.

I also have some random things that I like that I bet Taiki likes as well. I love anime and manga, with my favorite Anime being One Piece and my favorite manga is Death Note. I also love sushi, both raw and cooked. We also do not have any train or subway systems in Colorado Springs so I really want to ride the trains everywhere. I like biking too!

I am counting down the days until I leave for this very exciting experience with your family!


I can't wait to go!