WOODBURY — Every summer, Maxim Dmitriyev steps on a plane and says goodbye to America.

When he steps off the plane in Japan, he faces the culture shock of speaking a different language all day and living life in a time zone with a 13-hour difference. 

But the challenges are worth it for Dmitriyev, a Nonnewaug freshman who travels abroad every summer to see his relatives, primarily his grandparents who live in a rural place in central Japan.

“I very rarely get to see my Japanese side of the family,” said Dmitriyev, who lives with his grandparents for about two full months, “so I really value the time I spend with them in the summer.”

Even though he appreciates the time with his family, he misses talking to his friends from America. 

“The time difference is a really big challenge for me,” says Dmitriyev. “It’s hard for me to get in touch with my friends in the United States.”

Max’s close friends echo this sentiment. 

“I don’t really get to talk to him except for really late at night,” says freshman Isaac Spagnola.

The restricted communication between Dmitriyev and his friends in America allows him to spend his time exploring the culture and meeting people with unique lifestyles in Japan.

“I like to see what people are interested in and what is different about them,” Dmitryev shares. 

He remembers meeting one person in particular at a Japanese vending cart where he learned a very surprising fact. A boy around his age started to tell him about how his hair was a very unique style for Japan. 

“He told me that most boys were only allowed to have two different haircuts: a bowl cut, or a buzzcut,” Max recalls. This was very strange to him because in America people have such versatile haircuts.

Over the years Dmitriyev also noticed the big difference in transportation.

“No one really uses cars where I live, mostly people just bike around to where they need to go,” shares Dmitriyev.

Every weekend he and his team would bike to their soccer practices. Where he notices yet another distinction in lifestyle.

“Soccer in Japan is more focused and disciplined than in America,” says Dmitriyev. “It taught me a lot more.”

Max used the skills that both countries taught him and worked his way up to getting playing time in the boys varsity soccer games as a freshman.

During his time playing soccer in both countries, he has made new friends and learned a lot about himself. One of Dmitriyev’s friends, freshman Kaden Coons, recently started playing soccer.

“I don’t think I would have progressed as much as I have without him,” shares Coons. “He helps me practice all the time.”

Dmitriyev continues to juggle two homes, two time zones, and two very different lifestyles. His passion for getting to know people and learning about their lives, so next summer, when the plane touches down again in Japan, he’ll continue exploring different cultures.