Friends from Japan visit MI!

My good friends from Nagoya came to visit me and my family in Michigan. They love the U.S. and visit often, however, they have never been to Michigan. Even though they have been to the U.S. several times, they usually tour big cities and hit all the tourist spots throughout the country - so visiting Kalamazoo, Michigan was a different experience for them!

I wanted to show them a real "American" experience - so the fist evening they were here, we headed outside to the backyard to cook hotdogs over the fire. I also introduced them to Smores!

They seemed to really enjoy being in the "country" as opposed to always visiting big cities. They really enjoyed sitting outside and viewing all of the wildlife that they aren't used to seeing in Japan - numerous birds, squirrels, and turkeys.

They liked the smores - but thought they were too sweet! Japanese sweets do not have as much sugar as American goodies. We sat by the fire throughout the evening, and as it got dark the lightning bugs started to come out. It was their first experience ever seeing fire flies! They were mesmerized by their glow! It was very fun watching them discover something new. :)

The next day we headed to South Haven. It was a hot day, but we still had a great time. We walked the pier, shopped downtown, and then ate at the famous Clementines.

And of course we had to make a stop at the famous Sherman's Dairy! My favorite ice cream: BLUE MOON! :)

So glad my friends were able to make the trip to Michigan. It was fun to show them my hometown and have them meet my family. On their last day, my dad and Kory made them a huge American style breakfast and then we took a boat ride around Austin Lake. They really enjoyed seeing my American lifestyle and hope to return in the future. I also had a great time showing them my life at home!