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Message: <blockquote data-quote="nice gaijin" data-source="post: 802399" data-attributes="member: 15752">Thank you, [USER=1]@thomas[/USER]! It's an honor. <img class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" alt="🙏" title="Folded hands    :pray:" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/6.0/png/unicode/64/1f64f.png" data-shortname=":pray:" />For those that don't know me, I was introduced to this site shortly after my first trip to Japan in 2005, my first time abroad. I was trying to decide whether I wanted to study there for a year, and upon my return, I immediately submitted my applications. I had my pick of programs and settled on Waseda, and it was one of the most impactful and life-changing decisions I've made to date. Japan quickly became a second home, with a growing roster of second families throughout the years. I just went back through my photos to calculate my carbon footprint, and I've made 9 or 10 trips to Japan since that first tentative step out of my well.I've been participating on several internet forums since the late '90s, back before social media stole the thunder, and come to think of it, eventually moderated nearly all of them as well. JREF is now the only board I visit with any consistency, and I don't expect that to change. I just looked back through the archive and found my introduction thread; some very special folks were the first to respond to me. I thank you all for being a part of this journey.これからもどうぞよろしくお願いします！</blockquote>

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