What does it really feel like to land in Japan at 16, not knowing if your Japanese is good enough — and stay for six weeks?
In this episode of Life Exchanged: Stories of Understanding, host Kelsey Ross sits down with Mallory, a Michigan high school student who spent the summer of 2025 studying abroad in Japan through YFU (Youth For Understanding). Mallory waited two years to be old enough to apply, cried in a froyo shop when she got her scholarship, and didn’t pack her suitcase until the day before she left — because part of her still didn’t believe it was real.
She brings her actual journals to the recording and reads entries live: sitting in a Japanese history class with no idea what anyone is saying, watching planes take off from the school field during PE, and passing a little notebook around asking classmates, neighbors, and strangers on the street to leave her a message.
Mallory also opens up about joining drama club in a language she didn’t fully speak, how a quiet bridge in Tokyo at sunset became her favorite memory, and the surprising way one summer abroad changed how she approaches acting, friendship, and life.
If you’re a student dreaming about studying abroad, a parent on the fence, or just someone who loves a story about a person becoming more themselves — this one’s for you.
Topics & keywords: high school study abroad Japan, YFU exchange program, Japanese host family experience, student cultural exchange, summer abroad as a teenager, learning Japanese immersion, exchange student scholarship, personal growth travel stories