SUGOY!-Translation, WOW!

February 3-14th my teammates, six National FFA Staff, and myself traveled to Japan for many new experiences. Some special memories we made are below:

Japan Memories:

.Eating Sushi, rice, cow tongue... and A LOT of other interesting foods
.Learning to play the traditional Japanese Drum and EVEN getting to participate in front of an audience!
.Attending to traditional Japanese Tea ceremony.
Touring many shrines and temples.
.Staying on an island during its oyster festival.
Going to the "bath house," (if you don't know what that is, you should look it up:))
.Riding a bullet train for the first time

While all of the above are memories I will never forget, my greatest memory is my host family. The greatest experience of Japan for me was staying with the Yamiguchi Family. They spoke no English, and I spoke no Japanese. However, two and a half days and we were in tears as we parted ways at the Nigoya Train Station. Ami Son was my host sister who I spent literally every moment with for two days. Ami Son is an incredible 17 year old girl hoping to go into fashion design one day. Despite our lack of understandable verbal communication, we had a deep connection. She has taught me that people are the same no matter where in the world they live.

Many people have asked me what is the relevance for the national officers to travel to Japan for ten days. I now know why. Because there are some lessons you just have to experience first hand to learn. Japan offered us an opportunity to learn about some of our greatest agriculture partners, and connect with people with very different life-styles of our own.

If you ever get the opportunity to travel to another country, take it. You will return home with a new understanding for how large this world it, and how alike people really are.