In Which I Explain the Point of All This ;)

Hi, my name is Rachael Rosenberg, and currently I am just a little high school freshman in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex in Texas. I'm a very creative person, and my hobbies include writing, art, and playing piano and french horn. Just recently I wrote the first draft of a 50,000 word novel in a month for an organization called National Novel Writing Month. I am a very social person and love talking to people. One thing that I have become extremely interested in, especially in the last year or so, is learning Japanese and about Japan in general. Recently I decided that I want to become a foreign exchange student and live in Japan for a semester. Why?

I want to become a foreign exchange student to Japan for several reasons. The first and foremost being that I have fallen in love with Japanese culture. It fascinates me. I love the ancient periods, the balance between old and new, the art, the language, the mannerisms, the wide variety of religions, the technology, the music, the pop culture...the list could go on and on.

The second reason is a little more practical. I have considered many career fields for when I grow up throughout my life, and now I can think of nothing that I would like to do more than be an interpreter or English teacher in Japan. Before I do that, of course, I need to go to college, the best college who will admit me. Foreign exchange students stand out to colleges, especially foreign exchange students who have visited a country that speaks the language in which they want to major.

The third reason is because I think being a foreign exchange student will make me a more open-minded and well-rounded person. Foreign exchange, even for a semester, would expose me to a completely different way of life. I think I would return a much better and wiser person than the person I am now.

The problem is, money's tight. My AFS tuition is $10,250. That's a lot of money. That's one thing this blog is for. I'll be updating before I leave with fundraising things I'm doing. Soon I'll be posting a little widget on the sidebar where you can donate to my exchange fund! While I'm on exchange, I will be updating this blog with pictures and keep everyone up to speed on how your money is being put to use.

My parents have told me that to go, I need to raise $3,000 dollars by March. I hope to raise a third of that through this blog. I will also be updating with other fundraising activites I'm doing.

I know everyone's having money problems at the moment, but anything you could contribute will bring me that much closer to going to Japan!

Sincerely,

Rachael Rosenberg.