My name is Michaela.

And, um for those of you just tuning in, I'm actually in Canada this weekend because my best friend from elementary school got married in Whistler and I went and it was fantastic and I had a great time.

And now that I'm in Vancouver before I go back to Japan, I thought that this would be a really good opportunity for me to do something that it's a little bit out of my comfort zone but could potentially be a lot of fun.

Three.

Only other time that I've ever done a meet up.

Ah, YouTube up in my life was with my best friend, Andrew right here in Vancouver.

And we met outside of Lukaku.

And remember, about 50 people showed up and it was crazy.

Dome is understand.

I was really, really, really happy to see everyone, and I had a great time.

But I did feel like at the end of the day, I didn't know what I could do for those people.

Like I didn't know what I was doing that made it worth everyone come out and like, see me in the rain and so up until now.

For the past few years, I've kind of avoided having meet ups just because I didn't I didn't know what they were worth.

Thio you?

I didn't know.

I didn't know how they could be of value Thio someone other than the person who's throwing them.

E don't know if that makes sense.

I'm actually going up to Goo Garden, like, right now, after after I make this, um, to do my first ever solo meet up and I'm really, really nervous.

I'm so nervous.

But this time I'm I I think it's gonna go better than last time because one we're holding it at a restaurant at a Japanese restaurant, no less.

So there's gonna be food.

There's gonna be food.

Thank God there's gonna be food.

So if you're ever nervous, just stuff your face.

But that's not all.

That's not all.

I also brought gifts for people E didn't know how many people were going to show up, So I only brought gifts for 20 people on Lee 20 people.

But it turns out that like up to 30 I think 32 people have RSVP'd.

I don't know if everyone's going to show up, but, um, yeah, I've got stuff for 20 people, and I just packed it all up by the door.

You could see it.

So I'm really excited.

E think this is gonna be fun?

Oh, my God.

So many people.

I thank you for coming.

People say me, you make girlfriends.

Your English is improved.

Yeah, about how to get a girlfriend.

Girlfriend?

What about that?

I thought she got what she had.

So first you want a Canadian girlfriend way?

Probably way.

I'm like, open the shirt down here.

So your chest is showing because girls like like like men that looked like they came from Forest forest.

Man.

That's what girls like a but he g e think it's good I may not be able to entertain everyone.

I'm not entertaining, and not everyone's gonna like me or like, be like, Wow, you are so much fun.

You're like the life of party, cause that's about the kind of person I am.

But I'm going to try my best to talk to everyone instead.

This'll time.

I think my motivation is not just to like take selfies with everyone, but also to inspire people.

You know, when I look back at everything that I've done in Japan, I'm really proud of it in my life, like all of those things started from the decision to study abroad and to move overseas and try my best.

Thio make a life in Japan and I think that for a lot of people that are coming tonight, they have that same kind of feeling, whether it be at the back of their mind or whether they're already here.

There's so many people, Japanese people who have R S V p to the event.

And I think that that means that they're here either on working holiday or their exchange students.

And so that means that they're in the same position that I was in, what, 10 years ago Now, 10 years.

So I realized that this time I meet up isn't like for me to like high five everyone and remind myself that I'm popular, its's to talk to these people who are just starting out and thio inspire them and to reassure them that everything is fine, that they're on the right track and that if they are interested in like, for example, if they're Canadian and they want to go to Japan.

I want to be able to give them that that inspiration, that motivation to do that Because my life completely changed when I followed my gut and I did the things that I felt that I really wanted to dio.

And I think that this time it's gonna be different because I think I can.

I think I can help people.

And I think as long as I remember that, that's what I'm there to dio It's gonna be a lot better than the first time.

Uh, one of my legs I'm wearing these types toe like make my legs look more can I realized that it's kind of like a well in Japanese because soggy, which means a scam to scam my legs and all this can their tights.

Ha ha ha ha!