Welcome one and all

Welcome to my blog.

My name is Emma Tibbits and I am an aspiring exchange student. When I say this I mean that I am currently raising money and preparing myself for an exchange trip to Japan my junior year of high school. I have only just started raising my tuition, but through the support of my family and friends I have $104. That may not seem like a lot of money compared to how much I need, but for a fourteen-year-old that's a lot of money.

Why are you going on an exchange program?
Well, when I was in 3rd grade I discovered the vast culture of Japan and fell in love. From the food to the geography; I love it all. For months after the discovery of my new interest I kept checking out book after book from the library. I even bought an 8 disk set of language learning CD's. Since then, my interest has grown into hours of research. I researched dozens of cultural exchange opportunities ranging from a mere two weeks of travel, to a whole year of immersion. There are so many different organizations and I decided on AFS (AFS info).

How much do you need to raise?
The tuition for the year long trip is $13,200. However, if I add the $1,000 for my touristy expenses plus the cost of a ticket to the "gateway city" and passport/student visa costs it adds up to about $15,270. Call me crazy, but I would rather spend a year of intense study in Japan than buy a new car.

How are you fundraising the money and how much do you have so far?
As I said earlier, I have approx. $104 which means I have $15,196 left. I have been doing chores for my family and neighbors. I make bracelets, scarves, and headbands for sale. I am also going to get a job over the two summers before my trip to hopefully earn half of my tuition.

As far as my language progress goes, I currently am using at least 5 different language books, flashcards, and    many other internet tools. I am mainly using the website http://japaneseclass.jp/ to learn new Kanji and vocabulary. It is the best website I have used so far.