This semester I volunteered as an assistant English teacher at a school in Ōhara, a small town nestled in the mountains north of Kyōto. Through this experience I’ve reflected deeply on my own rural American upbringing, learned about Japanese school culture, and most importantly: I had fun! My advice to incoming students would be to choose an activity outside of your comfort zone, but still aligned with your interests or experiences. I’ve had many jobs working with kids so I knew I would enjoy my CIP, but it was still unlike anything I’d done before and it’s something I’ll never forget.