英語エッセイ №4「My First Diary Entry in My Twenties」

My first diary entry in my twenties is being written on the bus heading Downtown Seattle. I’m meeting my friend at SBC (Seattle’s Best Coffee) in front of Westlake Center. We are meeting up at half past ten, but it’s already quarter past ten.

There are only three days left until I return home. Each day passes in the blink of an eye.

Tomorrow marks exactly six months since I came to Seattle, but especially these past four and a half months since moving into my current place, every single day has been so incredibly enjoyable I can hardly contain myself.

I’ve been blessed with wonderful housemates, meeting all sorts of people, and everyone treats me like a little sister – I’m truly happy.

Two new housemates arrived last week and it’s been great fun. Judy is studying theatre, Rolf is studying forestry, and Caspar is studying European history. They are all intelligent, full of humour, and genuinely interesting people. People with substance really do have fascinating conversations and a magnetic charm.

I want to be that kind of person, too.

I’m inside SBC at the moment, but my friend hasn’t arrived yet.

Today’s weather is quintessentially Seattle – it’s raining.

Seattle is a wonderful city. It’s not particularly dangerous; it’s stimulating and fun. Coming to America for the first time, I’ve genuinely fallen in love with this city. There are far too many Japanese people here for studying English though.

I’d just started to feel quite settled in this city, yet I only have three days left.

It feels like a film set. The streetscape is incredibly beautiful. The people walking about all have their own distinct personalities; it’s interesting just to watch them. No one seems to care about those around them; they just walk straight ahead on their own path.

Back in Japan, I was always preoccupied with others, which was exhausting. But since coming to Seattle, I’ve felt so much more mentally at ease. There’s no need to worry about others, and I can do what I like at my own pace.

I’d managed to find some sense of self before coming to America, but being here has made it crystal clear. I feel like I’m a completely different person before and after coming here. It’s not just mentally; since moving into my current place, I’ve met lots of graduate students and been exposed to so many different stimuli. At the same time, I’ve been disheartened by how little I know, but I genuinely want to go back to Japan and acquire all sorts of knowledge.

For the past few years, I only did things I was interested in – English, music and psychology. After graduating from high school and coming to Seattle, I developed an interest in other subjects and genuinely want to study them. I want to read lots of books as well.

I showed no interest in anything else, giving up and refusing to try because I assumed I wouldn’t understand anyway.

If I were to start high school now, I believe I would study diligently. I think I would absorb all sorts of things and make them my own.

But now that I’ve found more interests, I believe I can study from here on out. I intend to pull out my old high school textbooks and read them daily, visit the library regularly, and ensure my English studies are never neglected. I’ll read newspapers, work hard on the piano, expand my cooking repertoire – there’s so much I want to do. Things are going to get busy now. I’ve been slacking off until now, so I really must knuckle down.

I’ll study hard for the TOEFL, apply to college, and from April, I plan to live in Tokyo for a while, working part-time. I want to see all sorts of things in the big city and soak up as much as I can.

I’m truly grateful to Mum.

I feel incredibly fortunate to be spending the tail end of my teens and the beginning of my twenties here in Seattle. I shall never forget this city.

Even if I become a flight attendant and go to Europe in the future, I want to cherish my memories of this city.

I shall strive to live in London, the city I’ve always longed for.

I want to apply not just to Virgin Atlantic Airways, but also to companies in Paris and Germany.

I want to live in many different countries. I refuse to let this dream remain just a dream. I will absolutely make it happen.

And I want to grow as a person, becoming bigger in character and experience.

I want to absorb all kinds of things, always have goals, strive towards them, and always be chasing something.

I will keep pushing myself to grow more and more.