Leaving!

I can’t believe that I’m leaving so soon! It still feels completely surreal. I guess it won’t be so much when I get up at 1:30 to leave for the airport.

I’m so nervous! My next post will be from Japan!

Countdown to Liftoff:…4…

Ta da! Yes, that is indeed my PACKED LUGGAGE! I solemnly swear I won’t take more bad pictures like this. I really do. It’s just late-night blog posts do not a good picture make. The freaky thing at the top of the picture is my cat. So, you’ve probably noticed that the gigantic yellow suitcase is absent from the picture. That would be because in the course of packing, my mother weighed one side of the suitcase and found it was nearly 50 pounds! You have to understand, the maximum weight limit for one suitcase at United (you’re allowed to bring two free) is 50 pounds. So we decided to rethink. Both of these suitcases are about the size of half the large suitcase and weigh in at around 45 lbs. Nearly everything except the stuff I use (and the coat that’s at the dry cleaners) is packed, though.

The only problem will be lifting, rolling, dragging, and carrying two hefty suitcases with 100 lbs. of weight. I tried it out. I can do it, but it’s not going to be pretty. At least I’m not taking the maximum sizes allowed for on the plane, or I would be in trouble.

The maximum weight limit used to be 70 lbs., when I went to Japan last time. I was able to pack that suitcase right up. Oh, well. Airlines are cheap.

My brother took me to the movie theater tonight to watch UP. Ironic, no? My flight to Japan will actually be over August 31 – September 1, when planes change their movies. I don’t know which movies I’ll watch on the plane! (It really doesn’t matter, I know. I have bigger things to worry about.) Star Trek would be playing if they have the September movies. That’d keep me entertained. (Last time I went I watched the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy at least five times because I didn’t have enough stuff to do on the plane. I still enjoy watching it. Says something about the quality of the movie, eh?)

But tomorrow my good friend Jade is coming over for a farewell visit, so I don’t think I’ll get much done.   🙂

4 days.

Countdown to Liftoff:…5…

Not much to report on the packing. My tentative deadline for packing is Thursday evening.

 

Shoes, I’ve found out, take up enormous amounts of space.

Many of my friends are already going back to school, which is a little weird – but I’ve been so focused on leaving I’ve forgotten that IUP is starting next week as well. My cat, Phoenix, is clearly aware that something is going on, because of the stuff out in the living room, and the amount of time I’m spending there. This morning, I found him here:

Yes, that’s a blanket he’s sleeping on. I’m taking the blanket, but decided not to take the pillow, because the university is providing me with one. The blanket comes from the advice of a student I met while working at Walmart this summer. She had studied abroad in Ghana for a semester, and was able to give me some limited tips. “Never underestimate the comfort of a familiar blanket,” she told me. “You can wrap yourself in it and imagine you’re home.” I’m following her advice by taking my treasured and very ratty quilt around the world.

So, in honor of my loyal and sentimental cat, here is a video I took of one his endearing quirks:

 

 

On an interesting note, the news has been talking about the Japanese elections, which are coming up rapidly. There is potential that a party other than the LDP (Liberal Democratic Party), might gain power in politics. The LDP has long been the dominant party in Japanese politics, making their government look more like a one-party system. This article in the New York Times states that according to some research, there might be a huge turnout for the elections, which is surprising for a country that as a general rule hasn’t been that concerned with politics.

5 days to liftoff.

Countdown to Liftoff:….6….

6 days.

It’s hard to believe.

Everything’s been a flurry, trying to gather everything together with so little time left. That’s why I’ve not been blogging – but don’t worry. It’s a long trip across the Atlantic, so I’ll have plenty of time to write my next post.

Today I did something important that every traveler going outside the U.S. should do – prepare to come back in. Since I’m studying abroad, I’m taking some expensive stuff with me! In order to not pay duty on the stuff I already own, I registered my electronics with the local Customs and Border Patrol, including my camera, which is probably worth about $50. If that.

Nevertheless, I think it’ll prove invaluable.

Technically, I should be packed by now. But I’m not even close. The problem is – well, I’ll just say it. In its stores, Japan mostly has small clothes and shoes, and I’m not even close to small, which means that I really ought to take all the clothes and shoes I think I’ll need for 9 months. That’s kind of difficult. So here’s the progress so far:

In perfect dimensions for the maximum size allowed.

Gotta pare it down.

Well, it’s getting there, folks. Tomorrow I might start putting stuff in the suitcase. I’m hoping to only take one so that I don’t have to deal with two gigantic bags, but we’ll see.

It’s hard to fit a life in one 62 linear-inch bag.

 

Countdown: 6 days.

I got my visa!

Excitingly, FedEx came through and got my visa to me last Thursday. I was going to take a picture of me holding it (with important stuff blurred out), but I figured pictures of government documents on the internet would not be a great idea. It’s kind of the final thing, really, that solidifies what I’m doing. Now all I have to do is pack. It’s crazy – such a huge trip happening so soon. I’ve finally started packing, dragging out the large suitcase I used last time I went to Japan and weighing it.

I said a final goodbye to a lot of friends yesterday, which was saddening, but not too much. I’m getting a little less excited and more nervous. I have two connections on my way across the world, each less than 45 minutes. Boarding starts a half hours before leaving, and for the international flight, you have to be there a half hour beforehand, because boarding starts at least 45 minutes before leaving. There’s nothing like running across an airport to make a flight.

I had to book these flights so closely together in order to get to the Kansai airport by 6:00 pm and avoid a 12-hour layover. Why 6:00? So that the representatives of the university and van would be able to pick me up. The only problem is that any delay could cost me the trip. No pressure, right?

So I’m probably more nervous about getting to Japan than I am about living in Japan.

On a brighter note, the New York Times stated that the Japanese economy is improving.

You can read the article here. I guess unemployment has been pretty high recently, but hopefully things will get better as the U.S. economy improves.

Hm. I need to continue packing, I think.

2 weeks to liftoff.