Traveler Ryan Sperry

    My parents are strong believers in traveling to places, they always tell me how the experiences that you pick up when traveling can't be learned and they are just things you have to do as a person. Every other summer I travel to Japan and stay with my grandparents for about 3 weeks- a month. Its gotten to a point where I have friends in the neighborhood that my grandparents live in and when I see them its like stepping out of a time capsule and all of us are just two years older. I went to the elementary school in that area for a month when I was little and made more friends than the ones that lived in the neighborhood. The experience of going to a school in another country is crazy. The way they do things in Japan compared to America is so different. For example, the lunches in Japan are extremely well-made and quite nice. Their isn't a cafeteria so everyone eats in the classrooms food comes on a cart with big pots on it and you get in line, help yourself to each of the different foods they have. It is considered impolite to not finish your ENTIRE meal before getting more of anything else. Japan's culture is surrounded by politeness and respect towards everyone. You will always be greeted by a kind, "Welcome to our restaurant," and always well taken care of. Japan has made me a more caring person, by just observing the way others interact it has shaped me in a ways I couldn't really describe. The worth ethic of the kids is also something I envy. These kids have to all walk to school and have to take an entrance exam just to get into high school. They are expected to study for hours everyday and participate in extracurricular.