by Colleen McCollum, Greenheart Travel High School Abroad Participant in Japan

Colorado is a rather open, spread out state. It also lacks the general concept of public transportation. There are buses, sure, but no trains. My first train ride in Japan was with my area counselor, and I was absolutely confused. The process is something like this... Read more of Colleen's experience on Japan's train system...

by Stephany Barnes, Greenheart Travel High School Abroad Participant in Japan

Walking onto the beach, the water looked odd and misshapen. Upon a closer inspection, I realized that the tide was nearly 100 feet out. Perfect for collecting shells. I slipped out of my shoes and pushed my feet into the sand. It was glorious. I basked in the sunny, salty beauty of life, and Mt. Sakurajima watched me throw my arms in the air and spin around. Read more...

by Zoe Brockman, Greenheart Travel High School Abroad Participant in Japan

When I first met my Japanese host mother, Akiko-san, and host sister, Saki-chan, I was very surprised- probably because they were both complete opposites from what I had imagined, but also because they both are dynamic people and blew me out of the water.Soon enough, though, we were headed for the bird marking field, where about ten thousand swallows flew in giant circles overhead, so close that I felt as if i could reach out and touch them. On the other side was a great view of Mt. Fuji in the sunset. Read more...

by Katey Archer, Greenheart Travel High School Abroad Participant in France

Saint Nabord, France is really pretty. There are so many boulangeries and patisseries and cafes and restaurants shoved into this town that it is just incredible, and if I didn’t see it for myself, I’d think someone would be either lying or exaggerating when they told me just how many there are. It’s cool though. Everything is really pretty though, houses, town, hillsides, forests-you name it and it’s most likely to be pretty. Read more...

by Colleen McCollum, Greenheart Travel High School Abroad Participant in Japan

Watching my college sister pack for her next year in a rented house, I wondered to myself if my own luggage would be similar. Most definitely not.
My sister had half a U-Haul truck at her disposal. She packed a box of books, a pretty desk lamp, a pencil case to be attractively placed in the light of the desk lamp. I packed fun things like Common Sense and Portable.
It’s pretty tough, being efficient while still maintaining personal identity. Read more...

by Zoe Brockman, Greenheart Travel High School Abroad Participant in Japan

The Goodbye Letters are all finished and presently sit on my bed, waiting to be given out, to be read. The letters have helped me put an end to most of my sadness, and now, the night before departure for Japan, I feel perfectly calm. I understand fully that this will be the most difficult trip of my life, that anything could happen and that I will miss those I love more than I can ever comprehend. I understand all of this, yet I feel as if I am ready. Read more...

by Katey Archer, Greenheart Travel High School Abroad Participant in France

I got my visa and my plane ticket to France! I officially leave August 26th now (and if you don't know EXACTLY how far/close away that is, then just take a leisurely scroll on up to the top o' my blog and check it out for yourself. (Nifty nifty-je sais!) I'll arrive at Charles de Gaulle airport at like 7:50 a.m. and then be met by a CCI representative who will then take me to the train station and help me get onto the correct train. Read more...

by Zoe Brockman, Greenheart Travel High School Abroad Participant in Japan

As the date of my departure looms closer and closer, I am starting to prepare myself mentally for Japan. I recently bought six Japanese magazines, for instance, and I am currently reading them cover to cover, making sure to read a little bit before I go to sleep every night. In this way, I am studying Japanese culture and fashion, as well as stepping up my Japanese reading skills. Read more...

by Jordain Moore, Greenheart Travel High School Abroad Participant in Argentina

I have begun to understand my surroundings as if I have been here for months already. All my life I never thought I would actually be here, sitting in this new home in Argentina. I have begun to walk the streets and attend school with a proud, confident attitude. However there still exists that small feeling of insecurity as I ride the bus in the early morning darkness to school. Read more...

by Jordain Moore, Greenheart Travel High School Abroad Participant in Argentina

Hundreds of thoughts, ideas, and desires fleeted through my wandering mind as I searched the vast airport for some form of familiarity. I was anxious, anxious for my use of Spanish to blossom, to truly experience this grand new country of Argentina in the best of ways. It was as though I had stepped into a huge room with no floor: I could see where I was and where I should go, but I needed to find my own way to cross the distance. Read more...

by Colleen McCollum, Greenheart Travel High School Abroad participant in Japan

It could have been any day, the day I thought about studying abroad in Japan. It was a flicker through my mind, an interesting concept to ponder. I browsed the internet leisurely, seeking to find out what it took to be an exchange student. That day probably changed the course of my life. Read more...

 by Jes Stayton, Greenheart Travel High School Abroad Participant

My previous host family in Japan taught me some interesting words and phrases used in Japanese restaurants. Read more...

by Jes Stayton, Greenheart Travel High School Abroad Participant

In Japan, food is an important part of the culture and there are many types of restaurants to choose from. High School Abroad participant, Jes Stayton, decodes some of the lingo and definitions she has learned so far about the dining experience. Read more...

by Jes Stayton, Greenheart Travel High School Abroad Participant

 The flu ("infuruenza" in Japanese, from the English “influenza”) hits Japan hard every year, and the Japanese take it seriously. Many workers and students wear face masks, and the progress of the disease is tracked on the news. Huge bottles of hand sanitizer are placed outside public buildings for customers, students, and other people to use when they enter and exit. Read more...

by Jes Stayton, Greenheart Travel High School Abroad Participant

Many foreigners know that the Japanese always take their shoes off before they enter the house. However, what they don’t know is that this is actually part of a larger cultural belief that the ground (outside) is dirty and essentially separate from the floor of a house or a school. Read more...