Hello, people of the world!
I’ve been staring and staring at this page for the longest time, trying to figure out how to write it and what to write, and I’ve just decided I’m going to stop procrastinating and WRITE the thing. List format is easiest for me and probably also for you, so let’s go!
- My name is Ashley Joy Hinkleman. I love my middle name, and people often describe me as a joyful person without even knowing my middle name!
- I’m from not-so-little-anymore Raleigh, North Carolina, where I was born and raised all my life. Except for the time…
- I spent three years in Akita, Japan teaching English to elementary and junior high school students. I left for Japan right after graduating from university and just returned to the States August of 2013. I left part of my heart in Akita, and it will always be special to me.
- If you talk to me for more than five minutes, you’ll know that I’m crazy about Japan. I fell in love with the country when I was 10. At first it was purely anime related, but soon I grew to love everything about Japan – the culture, history, language, and people. I’ve been studying Japanese for about 11 years now!
- Due to that interest in Japan, in university I majored in International Studies with a concentration in East Asia and a minor in Japanese. I am SO READY to take on the first all-Asia route of the World Race!
- I grew up in church and gave my life to Jesus when I was 8, but I didn’t fully realize what that meant until I was 14 (and I’m still figuring things out even now). My relationship with God changed me, and though I make a lot of mistakes (I’m only human, after all) I’m doing my best to follow Him.
Other things about me…
- I love music! It’s always been a part of my life through singing, and over the years I’ve learned how to play the flute, bagpipes, shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute), and taiko (Japanese drums). How well I can play any of those is debatable, but I love singing. I also want to learn how to play the guitar, piano, cello, and erhu (a traditional Chinese instrument).
- I love being active. I have a particular interest in martial arts, and I have a 3rd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and a 2nd degree black belt in Kyudo (Japanese archery). I also love snowboarding, and I have a budding interest in hiking after climbing Mt. Fuji last August.
- I love traveling. I caught the travel bug early and I’m lucky to have traveled throughout the US, Europe, and Asia.
- I love birds, books, libraries, twinkle lights, tea, sunlight, pictures, and stars, just to name a few things. 🙂
I’m very excited about this journey called the World Race that God has called me to, and I’ll share more about that with you in my next post. ‘Till then!
Ashley
