After having spent a semester studying at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka, Japan, I can confidently say that everyone should search out the opportunity for a study abroad. Studying abroad in Japan allowed me to experience different cultures, different food, and make different friends. I spent a lot of my time in Japan simply studying, working hard at my classes and achieving the best grades that I could, but I also spent a lot of time exploring. Not only did I travel all over the country, but I also found many interesting places right near the school. Surprisingly, some of the most fun places in Japan can be the train stations. The bigger train stations are huge and remind me a lot of a mall with all the shops together in one spot. However, one of my favorite things to do was try out new restaurants and foods in Japan. Me and my friend, Danny, ended up becoming really fond of a restaurant called NeNe Chicken, and we became close with the owners as well. As we said goodbye to the owners for the last time, they gave us some macaroons as a goodbye. It is interactions like these that will make me miss Japan most of all. We also spent a lot of dinners at a hot pot place in Umeda Station. I’ve only been back in the United States for two days, and I’m already craving that hot pot. The most unforgettable part of my study abroad experience was the people I met. Not only did I meet local students from Japan, but I also met many people from all over the world through the Kansai Gaidai program. There are many exchange students from different countries in the program and it gave me the opportunity to interact with students from China, Iceland, Australia, Tunisia, and many more. This was particularly meaningful to me because I am an International Studies major, and meeting people from all over the world helped to broaden my perspective on global issues. In conclusion, I highly recommend that any student who can study abroad, and the Kansai Gaidai Exchange program was one of the best.