Three years ago, at the age of 20, I was studying hard in college to fulfill my dreams, just like my friends of the same age. One day, I happened to find information about the ASA Newspaper Scholarship program on the internet. Looking back, that was a turning point in my life. Initially, I thought Japanese was easy, but as I continued to study, it gradually became more difficult. So, I decided to study at a Japanese language center. After about a year of study, I came to Japan. The day I landed, I was surprised to find that everything around me was completely different from what I had imagined. However, I gradually got used to the new environment and job, and made new friends. Life became more enjoyable than before. In Vietnam, I always made decisions after consulting my parents. But living away from them in Japan, I had to make even the simplest decisions by myself. This has greatly helped me grow. I learned to be independent of my parents and to think and act for my own life. There were many difficulties. I was often shocked by the differences in language, culture, and customs, and sometimes wanted to return to Vietnam, but I remembered my goals for coming to Japan and persevered. I believe there will be many more challenges ahead, but I am determined to overcome them.