Year: 10th gradeAge: 16School: M.C. Perry High School at Marine Corps Air Station IwakuniPlaces lived: Camp Lejune, N.C.; Oceanside, Calif.; Kreamer, Pa.; Iwakuni, JapanFavorite assignment: Oceanside, Calif.What is your favorite keepsake or souvenir?: Letters from friendsPlans for the future: Wherever life takes me

Being a military child has given me so many opportunities, but never have I experienced anything like Iwakuni, Japan. From the very first day I set foot in this diverse country almost three years ago, I realized my life would change dramatically. I knew right away that this new place was going to take some time to get used to because, honestly, I didn’t like it.

When our sponsor picked us up from the airport that summer and showed my family around the base, I could definitely see how small it was. We drove through the whole base in less than 20 minutes! It was also hot and humid. I spent most of the summer at my home because it was so hot.

It’s always difficult to make new friends and adapt to your surroundings, but it seemed even harder that summer in Iwakuni because I had nowhere to meet them. Eventually, I made a few friends and found the people in Iwakuni to be welcoming and friendly. Even though I had some friends, I found out the hard way that there wasn’t a whole lot you could do in Iwakuni. There’s the swimming pool, movie theater and bowling alley. In the States you have malls, theme parks and other fun places.

I knew there was more to Iwakuni than staying on base, but it was still a dramatic change from what I was used to. When I did get off base, I saw how differently the Japanese do things, like not eating while walking or sleeping on trains or the hardest one of all for my family, being quiet. My family and I might have followed most of the Japanese customs, but we didn’t have to do anything to stick out like a sore thumb because we were American. Once school began, I made new friends and became active, just like I was in the States. Not everything offered in the States was available in Iwakuni, like violin class or show choir, but I did other things like playing soccer.

I liked Iwakuni for a few months. Then I realized one thing: I was bored. I had basically done everything that was accessible on or off base and was running out of things to do.

By the time my second year in Iwakuni came around I became upset because I just didn’t enjoy Iwakuni. I would come home from school and explain to my parents that I didn’t feel accepted. Everyone in Iwakuni knew each other’s business and it wasn’t easy to keep things secret. My parents told me that I should branch out and find new friends. But being in a school with about 300 kids, I basically knew everyone already. Not only did I miss my friends and family from the States, but some of the friends I had made in Iwakuni were PCSing. If I had had the opportunity to leave, I would have taken it and not looked back.

During the spring of my second year I went to the States for a visit. I was there for three weeks and got to see my family and old friends. It was good to be home. But you know what? I was getting bored. I missed Iwakuni. I never realized how great Iwakuni was until I left. I always thought that Japan was so boring and I would love to go back to the States. But when I was finally there, I was ready to go back to Iwakuni.

When I returned to Japan, things started to change. I learned to appreciate the people of Iwakuni and how close everyone was. I could tell by the beginning of the year that my last few months in Iwakuni were going to be great. I was part of a record-setting volleyball team and attended my first Drama Far East, where I got really close with a small group of people. I also have some great teachers. And I’m not bored anymore.

I now realize my time in Japan is coming to an end. I recently said goodbye to one of my close friends who lives in Yokota, Japan. That goodbye, even though I hadn’t seen him in a while, made me so upset because it made me think of all the great times I’ve had with friends in Japan. My time in Japan may be over in a few months and I’ll have to start somewhere brand new again, but I will never forget the time I spent here. Although I once thought there was little you could do here, I found a way to make my experiences memorable.

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