I’m Katie

As I’m sure many of you did, I grew up singing Walt Disney’s catchy tune, “It’s a Small World.” After all, what better way to teach children that no matter what race, ethnicity or geographic location, we are all united under “one moon and one sun.” However, even though we may all experience “laughter, tears, hopes and fears,” physically, the world is actually the opposite of small—it’s big, expansive and worthy of exploration.

And this is the very reason I applied, interviewed and accepted a position with the Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program. I want to see the world and interact with a new culture. As an assistant language teacher, I will live and teach in Hiroshima-ken, a prefecture located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu (the main) island of Japan. My goal is to have these kiddies saying “hey y’all” in no time. Kidding. Maybe.K

“So Far West, It’s East” intends to keep my wonderful friends and family members up-to-date on all the spirited adventures and humdrum routines I may experience during the next year two years of my life. Traveling to Japan with very little no knowledge of the language and conventions, I am sure I will encounter difficulties and cultural hiccups. After graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill with a major in journalism and a minor in English, the whole becoming-illiterate-thing will definitely be tough, but I’m confident that I will overcome potential obstacles and have the time of my life. Thanks for your support and wish me luck!

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” —Mark Twain