<<        I am interested on different cultures and countries, so I would like to visit as many countries as possible in my lifetime. Having been studying in Australia for almost 3 years, I could fortunately make friends with many people from different countries, so I would also like to visit their home countries to see them again sometime in the future. However, if I could go to a foreign country for two week at this time, I would go to the United States to see the universities and graduate schools and to see my friends there.        The first reason that I would like to go there sometime in near future concerns my study. I would like to actually go and see the university so that I have better ideas of what the university is like. I am doing my final year at the university that I attend next academic year, and now thinking what I am doing next. One of the choices that I think of is to continue my study in the US where my field of study is well advanced. Moreover, I would like to experience American style of studying at university that is very much different from those of UK or Australia. I am hoping to visit the country in advance for two weeks before I actually decide to go to the States or which university I would like to apply. This is because it is the best if I could go there, feel the atmosphere myself, talk to teachers and students in order to have better idea of the school. The information that I can get in Australia or Japan is so limited, and it is sometimes the gap between what I hear about and reality is so different, though I had better make sure that the country or the school suit my preference.        When I decided to come to Australia, I heavily relied my information source on my agent because my English was even poorer at the time and I did not have anyone else to ask around me. As a result, I was very surprised after I came here that the school and the environment is very different from what I heard. I could handle the situation anyway, and I try to make the most of my stay here anyway, but it would have been even better if I could have visited this place before I decide so that I could get myself more prepared or think about other options. From this experience, next time I decide to go abroad to study, I would like to visit the place beforehand to make sure about the place I am going to stay and study in a log term and to prepare myself to adjust myself easily to the environment. Hence, I would like to spend 2 weeks in the states to visit the schools there.        Another reason I would like to visit the US is to meet my friends who I met in Australia. I especially wish to meet two of my good friends with whom I really feel comfortable to talk to. Even though they left here almost one year ago, we still stay in touch through emails and telephone. Even though we are not similar in terms of our backgrounds, interests, personalities and study fields, I somehow feel there is something common among us. I also respect them in their sincere attitudes toward people, mental and physical strength, and hard working. This they are two of the most important friends of mine, and I would love to visit them.