During the two-week foreign study trip to Ireland and Germany, everything I saw was new to me. I had so many thoughts and feelings that I can't now cite them all. Not only was impressed by this study trip, but I also considered how much people need to think for themselves. Even before leaving, I was uneasy about the homestay, so began to change my attitude. I thought, what would my family be able to do for me? They would not always be there to assist me, so I would have to express my thoughts by myself. If I didn't, as host family don't speak Japanese, they would be able to do nothing for me. If I didn't manage by myself and use my own knowledge and ability, I wouldn't be able to develop or mature.

　The trip taught me that in order to become a member of society, we have to be open by telling people what we are feeling and thinking. When we are trying to communicate with people, we must connect with them and get through to them, or else communication breaks down.

　My host family said to me, "It's a pity, but we can't speak Japanese. We can't help you to be understood. However, you will gradually learn to speak English and understand it more than you could imagine at first." I was, and still am, very stirred by that comment.

　It was the first time that I spent time in a place I was not used to and it was difficult. But even living in Japan there were many things around me that I hadn't realised or noticed. By going abroad, I was pleased to appreciate that I need to find my own path in life.

　The memories from abroad will always remain firmly planted in my memory. Thank you very much.

　I was able to get a lot out of the foreign language study programme. My first example was having to use English and not Japanese in order to get by with everyday life. I was uneasy at first about the homestay part, but soon adapted and felt relaxed. The second example is the degree to which I could really feel and learn about a different culture and the history.

　One major lesson I learnt when travelling was that it's not enough just to speak English. Instead, I had to rethink the way I conduct myself in front of others. I also came to appreciate the great aspects of Japanese culture and some contrasts with those of Ireland. For example, the library of Ireland's oldest university -Trinity College - with 8000 students and founded in 1591, holds the greatest number of books of any place in Ireland. We can see the books going all the way up to the ceiling, a scale of which we can't see in Japan. I was very impressed by it. I also saw a rock base - "Castle Rock" - 90 meters high, on which used to stand a castle. This beautifully natural place used to be the home of the Archbishop.

　 On a more trivial note, in Germany I was surprised to see that we have to pay to use public conveniences, but not to use the highway. So, thanks to this trip I was pleased to notice small and big cultural differences, more of which I would like to leam about.