Being bi-racial, African-American and Japanese, I always had a fascination with Japan. Growing up in the U.S, I often wondered what living in Japan long-term would be like. I had visited Japan several times, but often for short periods of time. As a child, I knew one day that I would get the opportunity to stay longer and that I would not hesitate to seize that opportunity. In November of 2010 as junior at the University of Maryland College Park, I applied to study abroad in Nagasaki at Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies, and by December I was admitted. I will admit, it was one of the happiest moments in…