Hello everyone! My name is Angie Vasquez, and I’m a graduate student at Texas State University. I earned my bachelor’s degree in electronic media with a minor in international studies, and I’m currently pursuing a master’s in mass communication. Growing up in a military family meant we traveled extensively — I’ve visited over fifteen countries across Europe, Central America and South America. However, I’ve never had the chance to explore Asia, which is one of the reasons I was especially excited to join this trip. I’ve long been fascinated by Japanese history, food and culture, and that interest has only deepened in recent years.
Even though I grew up with anime — my dad made sure my sister and I were well-versed in Dragon Ball before we hit double digits — my watch time drastically spiked during the pandemic. It became a meaningful way for me and my sister to stay connected, and even after I started college, we would wait until we were together again to catch up on the episodes we’d missed. Additionally, in the summer of 2023, I took a Study in America trip to Oregon. There, we visited the Portland Japanese Garden, proclaimed to be the most beautiful and authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan. It was one of Oregon’s most beloved spaces, and rightfully so, with its stunning architecture, bonsai trees and artfully placed statues. While I can only imagine how it compares to the real thing, that experience gave me a strong sense of anticipation for what’s to come, and I’m incredibly excited to finally see Japan firsthand and explore the differences for myself.
I’m most excited to visit historical landmarks and ride a bullet train for the first time — maybe even try something I’ve never eaten before! Navigating Tokyo Disney, perusing the Kyoto Botanical Gardens and exploring the Nishiki Market are also all on the to-do list. Furthermore, I’m looking forward to getting to practice my feature writing and content creation skills.
I’m incredibly grateful to be able to not only travel for class credit, but to be able to embark on this amazing adventure with professors and classmates who share my curiosity and passion.
About The Author
Have fun!
Mederson