Becoming a Japan Travel Girl: I never liked cinnamon, but now I pride myself as an up and becoming Travel Girl with Cinnamongirl Inc.

Kon'nichiwa!

Here from Stockton California, I would love to introduce myself, Carly Monroe. I have gone far and wide from the country of Australia back to joining this remarkable cohort again to participate in voyaging to the beautiful country of Japan. Last year, the travel cohort intended on this trip but unfortunately their borders remained closed due to COVID-19. I feel tremendous gratitude for each and every person who contributed to last year's campaign in spite of the fact I am asking you to do it a second time around. Although raising $6,500 in donations seems to be a large amount, I am sure up to the challenge! But in order to reach this big goal, I most definitely will need your help!

However, you may wonder , who am I? Many of my friends whom I attend Lincoln High School with, categorize me as someone who is just very smart. Once they ask me what my grades are and I say in return, “have a 4.0 GPA.” As a sophomore, they assume all my credits are based on pure talent. I find this delusional. In fact all the accomplishments I have made have come from a source of grit. Though school subjects seemed different and confusing when I was first introduced, I stuck with the subject and mastered it to the best of my ability. Grit is why I am continuing in this program even though many may be too afraid to leave the comfort of their own area. I have always found delight when challenging my own perception of life and experiencing the culture of Japan would be a true eye opener for me.

Believe me, I am not just known as a nerd at school. I value different activities and my established passions over the years of my life which include choir, (musical) theater, cross-country, video creation, and other forms of art such as drawing. I found many of these astonishingly difficult at first but with the power of grit, I have been able to create things that people enjoy and most of all be proud of my accomplishments in the subjects.

In my last expedition, traveling has provided me with an exceedingly large amount of confidence for which I have struggled with, accompanied by a sense of freedom and independence that a fifteen year old girl can long for! I am extremely excited to create new memories with the new Travel Girls who hopefully I can call friends or even family. Japanese culture is one of the richest in the traditional and modern world which makes this even more of a true blessing to have the opportunity to do this in my lifetime. Thank you all for your generosity and I hope we can continue this journey together!

Your dearest, Carly Monroe <3