Between the simultaneous conversations about her in the "which mm member is going to graduate soon" thread on traveling abroad and in her own thread about opportunities to use or study English at greater than an elementary level, it was almost perfect timing as if someone on either end of the ocean was thinking the same things. This should be really good for her as a way to keep from getting burned out on being an idol and to scratch any itch she may have still had for visiting overseas. I think I remember either some Cute or Berryz members doing a video once, trying food and advertising for a BBQ restaurant in the US South at one point. It would be neat if we end up seeing some examples of her getting to interact professionally, whether it's something small like local commercials, or even if it's something long and as previously unappealing to me as color commentary for college basketball games.
It also makes me think about the prospect of a potential trend that I don't necessarily oppose. At least as far back as Konno being out for injury for something like 6 months, we've had situations where the performing composition of the group could be different than its listed membership for significant lengths of time. While it's been previously reserved for injury, I wouldn't be opposed to members being able to take limited "breaks" from their professional duties for projects that the agency supports. That could be things like Eripon training for/participating in golf tours, Ayumi getting advanced dance courses, someone filming a leading role in a dorama, etc. One of the dangers of people leaving even after considerations for university are that they may feel constrained by their present career and the workload they already have as idols. The ability for an idol to have agency-sanctioned breaks for 2-6 months during normal activities could help alleviate that. It would also have an added benefit of allowing for more variation in performance and single line-ups while other fans are less likely to complain about the group feeling full if 2 or 3 of its long-term members are presently on break for part of a release cycle.
Once you graduate from a group, you don't come back. That's always been the death-knell for any member that needed to leave for another important aspect of their lives where they have to make a decision about their career and personal lives. As we've seen with Manakan, Maa-chan, and others, an extended break shouldn't always mean that you're gone for good. Who knows if that kind of leniency in the system for non-injury reasons might not have also changed the minds of others in the past like Duu, Riho, or Haachin.
