My Host Family in Japan Opened My Eyes to the Culture!

Alana is one of Greenheart Travel’s First Time Traveler Scholarship winners. Hear about her experience while on the teen summer language camp Japan program

In the beginning of my program I was a bit worried about what my relationship would be like with a family that I have never met before. Would they lead a lifestyle very different to mine? I thought it would be hard for us to connect because they would have different values or expectations. I though that our differences both in culture and lifestyle would be too big and that we would not see eye to eye. 
 
However, these differences were exactly what brought us together. Living with my host family was honestly one of the best experiences I had in Japan. We both got to teach each other about our cultures and language, something that I had never experienced before.

Because of my host family, I was able to experience many different local dishes that they would make for breakfast or for dinner. The daily morning meal would always consist of a bowl of rice and miso soup. This was something that I was not accustomed to at all back home, as I usually settle with bread and milk for breakfast. However, in Japan, I was set on wanting to try as many traditional or home cooked meals as I could, even though my regular diet does not include much fish or meat. With my host family, I ate eel for the first time, had delicious curry that they made, omelets, yakisoba, okonomiyaki, and tried many new flavors I had never tasted before. Although it was hard to adjust to these new foods, I really enjoyed being able to eat the food my host family prepared. 

I believe that my stay with my host family allowed me to experience firsthand what life is like in Japan, go to local festivals, as well as to enjoy many traditional home cooked meals. Because my host family also had young children, they were able to teach me a lot of everyday speech and I was constantly surrounded by the Japanese language. My host family really encouraged me with my studies and I truly think that without them I would not be as motivated to learn as I am now.

Learn more about Greenheart Travel’s Teen Summer Language Camp Japan Program