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Hi~! This is NANAMI😏✨

Hope you guys doing well!

 

So, today I’d like to continue talking about my studying abroad in the U.S.🇺🇸

 

Part1: University life in the U.S.

Part2: Volunteering in the U.S.

Part3: NYC & LA Trip

Extra: The reasons for studying abroad in the U.S.

 

Today’s blog is for Volunteering in the U.S.👏!

 

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Detroit🚘

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My first destination was Detroit, MI.

Detroit, the city known for the most (?) dangerous place in the U.S.😱

 

Detroit is located around here 👇

 

 

I got a volunteer job through the platform called “Workaway“.

This platform connects volunteers (travelers) and hosts (offering a job).

 

Why Detroit….？😮

 

Because,

I was interested in Detroit!

I wanted to see how dangerous the city is, 💦

and how different it is from other cities!

(it sounds thoughtless and yes, actually thoughtless,

but I was just attracted to Detroit at that time.)

You know you never know how actually it looks like,

unless actually see and feel it through your body!

SO, I did visit Detroit and experience lives in there.

Honestly I was so scared when I was heading to Detroit.

That was my first solo trip in the U.S.✈️

 

 

After arriving at station,

I took a Uber and headed to the house.

There were 4 other volunteers,

Taiwanese, Japanese, Italian, and Colombian!

We were not like a super good friends,

but I had a great time with them✨

We spent nights talking about each cultures,

doing games, and making dinners…

It was such a great memories!

 

 

What we did for volunteer was complicated,

so I’d like to share the most interesting one!

That one was Food Distribution🍊🥓🥑🥕

We distributed foods (already expired but still eatable)

to low-income families.

I had never seen this system,

so I was kinda surprised😲

When I was working at supermarket in Japan,

everyday I was annoyed by food waste.

We needed to throw away lots of expired food every day.

It’s such a “Mottainai”😠!!

Food waste is a huge problem in the world. 

I hope we also have food distribution system in Japan

or find more better way to reduce food waste🙏

 

 

 

I went to explore downtown and other sightseeing places

with other volunteers on a day off✨

We didn’t get into any troubles, but needed to be careful…!

One of the most creepy and interesting places was

“The Heidelberg Project“!

I kept saying “wow….”. It was interesting haha

 

 

 

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South Carolina🐶

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Next destination was South Carolina!

 

South Carolina is around here 👇

 

 

I did volunteer on a small farm located in a small town of South Carolina.

This farm is run by a old guy who have a cancer👴

He had removed his vocal cords because of the cancer, 

so I had difficulty in communicating with him at first.

However, thanks to him and other volunteers’ help,

I also had a great time through this volunteer👏✨

 

What we did for volunteer were…

taking care of animals, cultivating land, and harvesting vegetables…!

We were always surrounded by cute animals

and delicious food with fresh vegetables,

so I was HAPPY to spend time in that farm❤️

 

 

I had two other volunteers.

Both were Chinese and they were so nice.

 

 

She is from China, and studying at university in the states.

She was like a little sister to me…

she was nice, kind, and funny❤️✨

 

 

The one who wear the pink jacket,

is another volunteer from China.

She is about the same age as my mother👩

I learned lots of things about Chinese culture from her!!

 

I found some interesting things about their culture

while I spend time with them.

One of the most interesting things were

they really like something warm😲!

They warmed every food and drink up!!

Even orange, they warmed up🍊

I’m kind of the person who like cold things,

so I was surprised 😹

They said that avoiding cold one

and warming food up are good for our body!

I’ve tried to eat warmed orange,

and that was actually really delicious!

If you’ve never eaten any warmed orange,

you better to try it👍

 

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This is all for my Volunteering Experience in the U.S.!

Next time I’d like to talk about NYC & LA Trip.

 

See you next time〜👋