The transition from Japanese to American culture

When I left Narita International Airport in Japan, I did not feel like I was really going to the United States for a year. After a very long flight, I met my host family at the Dulles International Airport. 

Although I studied a lot of aspects about this country, like society, race, culture, and politics, I was still very surprised in many ways. Food, race, and gender are all different from what I am used to in Japan, but all of the differences were so exciting for me and I really enjoyed learning about them. I thought the country was easy on controlled substances. This was surprising to me, an exchange student who comes from a country with such strict laws about drugs. I also found out that some places in this country are not so safe. Fortunately, I was not involved in any kind of fight or anything of that matter. I also encountered some difficulties caused by the differences in cultures. In my exchange year, I not only learned about cultures or remarkable differences between countries but also about how to communicate with other people or deal with issues.

It is really interesting that there were surprises because I studied plenty about this country before I came. I think I had certain kinds of stereotypes about this country in my head, but I was proven wrong. As I am heading back to Japan soon, I will forever be grateful for my time and experiences at Oakland Mills High School and in the United States.