*Have a good life!
私は高校2年生の夏休みにアメリカウィスコンシン州に短期留学をした。1ヶ月半のプログラムで前半3週間は大学付属の語学学校、後半3週間はホームステイというものだった。
語学学校には様々な国からの高校生が集まっていた。寮の部屋は二人部屋でイタリア人がルームメイト。英語はそれなりに得意なつもりだったが全く通じない。最初は辞書を片手にコミュニケーションを取った。食事は学食で食べられたが、日本では自分で洗濯もしたことが無いので洗濯機の使い方もわからない。最初はかなりパニックだった。しかし、それでも毎日は楽しく、多くの国の友人ができ、3週間はあっという間だった。
語学学校最後の朝、皆それぞれのホームステイ先に出発する時が来た。当時はメールもSNSもなく、連絡しようとするとエアメールを送らねばならない。何より距離も遠く、もう会うこともないかもしれない。短いがとても濃密な時間を共に過ごしたので、皆とても悲しそうだった。そんな時、チェコ人の友人から「Hava a good life!（良い人生を！）」と最後の言葉をかけられた。短い言葉だが色々な思いが込められていて、今でもその時のことは忘れない。
*Have a good life!
I participated in a short-term study program in Wisconsin, USA during the summer vacation of my second year in high school. The program lasted for one and a half months, with the first three weeks at a language school affiliated with a university and the latter three weeks in a homestay.
The language school brought together high school students from various countries. I shared a double room in the dormitory with an Italian roommate. Despite considering myself relatively good at English, we couldn't communicate at all. Initially, I relied on a dictionary for communication. Meals were provided at the school cafeteria, but I had never done laundry on my own in Japan, so I didn't know how to use the washing machine. It was quite overwhelming at first. Nevertheless, I had fun every day, made friends from many countries, and the three weeks flew by.
On the last morning at the language school, it was time for everyone to depart to their respective homestays. Back then, we didn't have emails or social media, so if we wanted to stay in touch, we had to send airmail, which meant the distance was far, and we might never meet again. We had shared a short but incredibly intense time together, and everyone seemed sad. At that moment, a Czech friend said to me, "Have a good life!" It was a brief phrase, but it carried various emotions, and I still remember that moment vividly.
