Michael- Last Day in the Office

Last Day in the Office

Today is my last day in the Institute for Language Experience, Experiment, and Exchange office here in Tokyo. It has been an amazing year and something I truly will cherish for the rest of my life. I can't believe how quickly these last few months flew by.

My major work this summer has been with the monthlong programs to and from America. It was great to have a chance to bring 4-H delegates to Japan and help them experience life with a Japanese family. Meeting these delegates and planning for they exchange was something I enjoyed so much during this year. I am so proud of everything they tried and how they challenged themselves. I'm sure it is an experience they won't easily forget.

I also got a chance to help prepare the Japanese members for the monthlong programs in America. Whether it was participating in camps, clubs, or just reviewing their paperwork, it was a chance for me to help these delegates in their own preparations. Now that they are safely into their homestay programs, I hope their anxieties have settled and that they are able to truly realize the information I tried to provide them.

I really can't believe that I am leaving Japan in 3 days. At the beginning it might not have, but now Japan definitely has a secure place in my heart.

Comments

Daniel- こにちわ！！

こにちわ！！　(Daniel) Hello,こにちわ, bonjour, Привет ! My name is Daniel Panasenko, and I am the 2012-2013 LEX intern in the Hippo office in Tokyo. I am from Sacramento, California, although originally from Dnipropetrovs'k, Ukraine. I first came across LEX and Hippo when I came to Japan with People to People in 2009. I was hosted by members of the Hippo Family Club for four days, and I enjoyed the experience so much, that I came back to work for Hippo as an intern. Although I am fairly new to Hippo, I have been received warmly and welcomed into the Hippo family. Everyone at the office and at the family clubs are very kind, supportive, and incredibly patient as I unintentionally butcher their language. As the year progresses, I will blog about my experiences in Japan as well as my insights into the language and culture. Although I am a bit overwhelmed by the novelty of the lifestyle and language, but I am more than happy to be here, making fascinating new discoveri...

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