In these past few weekends, thanks to my friend Miharu, my friends and I were able to see Akita’s beautiful nature, eat its delicious foods, and enjoy its natural hot springs.  Every weekend has been an adventure filled with awe and surprise!

 
This blog will be stuffed with four different events: My first time driving a tractor, the last Hawaii Food Night at Akita International University, Balancing a 100 pound bamboo pole on my head, and playing in a play place for adults!

 
Friends and Family are important.  Before coming to Akita International University, I made it a goal of mines to make as many friends with as many people as I possibly can.  And that I did!  This blog will be dedicated to my Tanken Kazoku, or Exploration Family, a group of close friends who have become a part of my everyday life at school.

 
So in the past two weeks, I’ve been tasting the local beers!   The first place I went to was a local Brewery known as Aqula, and the second place that I went to was the Local Beer Festival.  I’m not really an alcoholic person, but being in Akita, a place known for its rice and beer, I had to figure out what the hype was all about.

 
I finally got a Yukata!  After all these years of wanting one, I finally got one!  Although it was quite expensive, I spent my first day in my Yukata walking around a museum, strolling in a park, and running around with super active children!

 
A weekend filled with bowling, karaoke, the beach, and malasadas!  We showed off our bowling skills at Round One, ate Marshmallows on the beach, sang Japanese songs in a castle, and ate malasadas at a shop in Akita city.

 
This semester, we had another beach clean-up!  This time I came prepared!  I brought my own marshmallows in anticipation for the campfire and luckily for me, I got the opportunity to go to an onsen and a delicious mountain restaurant soon after!

 
These past few weeks have been a blast!  Every day I’m doing something new, exploring new places that I have never been before.  With the new friends I’ve made, I’ve become even busier as I’m spending more and more time with each and every one of them.  A Hanami here, a restaurant visit there, and a lot of funny picture-taking everywhere!

 
So for Golden Week, I went to the beautiful Ryukyu Islands!  Thank you very much to Takuya and the Kaneshiro Family, my visit to the islands was an adventure filled with incredible new experiences!  I got to swim under a beautiful waterfall, eat some delicious goat sashimi, and even kiss an anaconda.

 
The beginning of the Spring Semester at Akita International University started off with a big bang!  As soon as I returned to school, I was greeted with such awesome enthusiasm from all my friends.  Of course, I was just as excited to see them too!