Hello! My name is Ariel, but I go by Ari too ~

So…I guess I’ll tell you why I want to learn Japanese. But first, a little background info:

I’ve liked anime ever since I watched Sailor Moon when I was three. When I found out that it came from Japan, I learned more about there, and I fell in love. :]
When I was 13 or 14 I went on a trip to Florida and I took a boat ride. The man who was our guide sat down next to two Japanese woman and spoke Japanese with them. It amazed me so much that someone could actually learn it and not just simple words like kawaii, konichiwa, baka, etc. But he was speaking like it was his native language. That’s when I realized that one day I would do that. I’ve tried a few times, but I always failed. Probably because I never thought of a reason to continue on when the going got tough. I’m seventeen now, soon to be eighteen, and I’ve thought hard about this. What is my reason to learn it? These are the few reasons that came to mind and I’ll try really hard to remember them when I want to give up!

1. I want to live in Japan one of these days. Or at least visit for a while. And I’d like to be able to ask directions and read signs without needing help.
2. I want to have a fluent conversation with this retired teacher that I know. He taught English in Japan for three years and I asked him if he knew Japanese and he started speaking it like the boat guide in FL. He came to my library to teach us how to do some origami, and I ended up having a two hour conversation with him all about Japan and what it’s like there.
3. I want to watch anime/Japanese dramas/ listen to Japanese music/read Japanese writing and be able to understand it without having to look it up.

So yeah! Those are the reasons. I’m praying that I can finally learn it this time! ^.^