Imagine, you accept the challenge and decide to spend six months in Japan. The distance between the Netherlands and Japan is 9,288.30 km, which is quite far away. Luna has spent six months in Fukuoka, Japan. She was able to comprehend her dream of living in Japan at the age of sixteen. New memories, new people, and new expectations. She can smile as she reflects on how everything came her way. I was intrigued by Luna's story and met her for an interview.

Luna van Brakel is now 20 years old and has returned to the Netherlands. She had a fantastic time in Japan and would love to return one day. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, this will be tricky, but she can tell her story here and there. Luna was sixteen years old when she went to Japan. She lived with a host family and attended school in Hakata. She learned everything she could about the Japanese culture there. She understood all of the norms and values, and she progressively learned the language.

Has it always been her dream?

Luna was fourteen years old when she wanted to move to Japan. She was motivated to take a course and live there. Her parents thought she was too young to leave, but she refused to give up. ' I worked three part-time jobs in order to make my dream a reality'.  She was finally allowed to go to Japan when she was sixteen. She graduated from high school and took a plane to the other side of the world. A wonderful adventure awaits her.

'I didn't go to Tokyo, because it's too crowded,' Luna clarified. For  Luna, city life with its tall skyscrapers and crowded sidewalks is not an option. She grew up in the Dutch village called Nuenen, not far from Eindhoven. She was already used to living in a village, where it is quieter and where everybody knows each other. 'I don't like shopping in Amsterdam, for example, because it's far too crowded there.' Luna ended up living with a host family in Fukuoka where she could stay for six months. Living with a Japanese family was a wonderful experience for her.

Luna began posting TikTok videos after coming back to the Netherlands. She imitated the most absurd situations and focused primarily on her experience in Japan. Her videos went viral, and she became known as Moonlightblossom as a result.

Luna has a wide range of social media accounts where she actively creates entertaining content. Furthermore, her journey will undoubtedly continue as soon as travel is permitted again.