First of all, Congrats on getting accepted to go to Japan! When I first got the call from Tad saying I was accepted, I was SO excited! Everyone going was calling around to all the people that applied to see who got to go. I actually wrote this letter to you on the plane ride back from Japan. I think the main thing to remember is that there is no such thing as too much film!!! I went through probably 20 rolls!!! There is SO much to see, and you'll make so many new friends, you'll want to keep all those memories forever. I DEFINETALY reccomend keeping a journal. With a journal and pictures, you can remember what you saw in Japan, and what you thought about everything. It might be tough to stay up later every night to write about your day, but it is SO worth it!

I know they only reccomend $300.00, and I hate to go against what they say, but if you're like me, and you have lots of gifts to buy for other people, and for yourself, plus you like to shop...I would reccomend at least $350.00! We went shopping in the Mutsu Mall, and I spent probably about 15000 Yen!(That's about $120.00!) By the 2nd to last day, I was completely broke, but everyone was really nice, and lent me some extra cash.(I'm paying them back!)

You'll have to have a buddy for the whole trip, and you have to stay with that person for practically the entire time, so don't make it someone who annoys you easily, or someone you don't get along well with. Even if you don't think you will like some of the people going, you will probably become pretty close with them by the end of the trip. There were some people going on my trip, that I thought I'd never get along with, but after experiencing the trip, they will seem like your family.

The plane ride over is about 10 hours! Plus, you'll be riding in lots of trains, so bring books, magazines, CD's, whatever works to keep you from being bored! I wouldn't reccomend packing too many sets of clothes, trust me you wont need half as much as you think you will. Tokyo's very humid in May, so I reccomend bringing a pair of Khaki shorts to wear when you sightsee. Never underestimate the power of a pair of Khaki pants! I wore mine like 6 times during the trip!(Don't worry, I washed them!), and some people wore them more times than that!(I hope they washed them!). I would reccomend that the girls bring 2-4 skirts, with some nice shirts. Boys...well I don't know about you. I'm not a boy, but I'm sure if you look at pictures from last year, you can see what the boys wore. Always remember to dress nicely! You might be more comfortable wearing jeans, but trust me, when you see that everyone around you is dressed up, and you're not, you will be anything but comfortable. I can't stress enough, just how important it is to have a pair of NICE, COMFORTABLE walking shoes. You will be doing a LOT of walking, and good shoes will be much appreciated!

If you're a picky eater...good luck! I always thought I was really open minded, and I would be able to eat something, even if I didn't care for it, but you will probably be offered some things that you won't even want to look at, let alone, eat. Remember, if you don't care for something, BE POLITE! Simply say that you're full(In Japanese, that's iipai desu, pronounced ee-pie-des) or if you want, you can say that you don't care for it. During most of the meals, you won't be hungry at all. Especially your first night, but I can't say it enough...EAT ANYWAY! One person in the delgation wasn't hungry, so she didn't eat, and she got sick! On our first night, we were all REALLY full, and none of us felt like experimenting with new foods, so we all went straight to McDonalds!

When you meet your host family, don't be nervous. I'll admit, I was a little uptight and uncomfortable at their house for a while, but I soon adjusted, and I felt like part of the family! You will probably also be nervous while visiting the middle school, all I can say, is...don't be. The students and teachers are SO nice, you'll get treated better than you have at school, and most likely you'll be treated better than you ever have been anywhere.

Probably the hardest part of the trip is saying goodbye to all the new friends you've made, to Mutsu, to Japan. Just remember, there's nothing wrong with crying! Trust me, if you have even half as much fun as me, you'll be bawling! You won't want to leave, and even though it's sad to go, it's really fun to come back and tell everyone all about your trip and show them all the cool things you did and bought (Just don't brag too much!). You probably don't realize now just how lucky you are to do this, because it's not very often that you can do something so fun, and still be learning! Well, there's a lot more I could tell you, but where would the fun be if you already knew everything to expect? You'll have to learn those lessons on your own, good luck, and have a GREAT time!!! Can I come in your suitcase!?!?!
Love,
Allison
PS- Try the drink called Calpis! It's sooo good!