Last Day at Hokusei

The whole day felt so surreal; like one of those days that you never thought would actually come.

Since it was Friday, we had the morning church service in the chapel. I was nervous all morning about speaking in front of the whole school and having to say goodbye. However, when it came time to give my speech, for the first time in my life, I did not feel nervous at all. As I was reading it out loud though, it finally hit me what I had wrote and what I was saying; I started to get a little choked up. I took a second to contain myself, looked up and saw that people in the crowd were crying as well.

After I finished, and began to walk off of the stage, I looked out in to the crowd again to see that my whole class had stood up. They shouted to me if I liked being in 6A, and when I said yes they shouted, "We love you Claudia." I was so moved and emotional that I couldn't help it and started crying in front of everyone. When I talked to the principal afterwards he told me he had never seen such a thing happen before.

The rest of classes went by in a blur.

During homeroom, after school had ended, they asked me to say something. I had no idea what to say at first, but as I started talking, it all came pouring out. I told them how at first I thought there was no way I could become friends with them since they had already been together so long (Since middle school), and because my Japanese was so terrible. Since everyone was so nice, they really tried to talk to me and my Japanese improved. Now I can talk normally, and even joke around. I told them that along with my host families, 6A is my Japanese family.
When I had finished, my classmates brought me gifts the class had made me: A box full of individual letters from everyone, and a book filled with pictures from this year.

After school, there was pictures, and eating, and of course purikura.

I'm so lucky to have been a part of 6A, I couldn't have done it without them. They are such an amazing group of people. I can never thank them enough.


I can't believe how quickly this year went by.