I've done pretty well for myself. All this time and I thought I screwed high school up, but really, I did just what I was supposed to. I made really great friends that I'll never forget. I didn't even realize that until I watched them all tonight in class and thought about what it would be like without me. It made me a little sad to think that life will go on very easily for them - and for me. But I don't think very many of us will ever be the same after this. These past six years has dented all of us - Scott and me and Tara and David and the Sensei's and the Hunts. I've learned so much from them, the least of it being martial arts. They taught me about loving myself and about how to be a friend and how to keep going when you really can't and even things like what to do when someone eight times your size is really mad at you. That lesson took a couple of learnings. It feels really great to know that I'll have what they gave me for a long time. Forever really. I think all this stuff they've equipped me with will follow me everywhere.
In other news, I just heard from my host club councelor (who has been absolutely amazing these past few months) in Japan that he will be picking me up and that his daughter will be "guiding" me the first couple of days. Then he will take me to Mt. Hiei in the outskirts of Kyoto and when I get back, I will stay with the Watada's, my host first host family. How cool is that? I feel incredibly lucky that so many people are going out of their way so that I'll have a really great year. I really haven't done anything for them, nothing to deserve all this anyways. I hope his daughter isn't TOO good at english, though considering how awesome his english is, I'm not getting my hopes up. I would like to learn Japanese as fast as possible. I will work really really hard to learn it, that's for sure.
So, I've seen the last of pretty much everyone. That's great because it means I'm pretty much on my way. That's not so great because I kind of like all those guys. I'll kind of miss them.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Yep, leaving the day after tomorrow. What do I have left to do? Uhm, what don't I have left to do is a better question. My room isn't packed yet! I keep packing but nothing is disappearing! It's like I'm running in place! How did I ever get so much stuff? Not quite sure. It seems that I've saved everything since I was five years old. Old McDonald's toys and birthday cards from ten years ago keep popping up. And what's the difference between "sentimental" and "junk"? And what in the world will I do with the "sentimental"? Keep them in boxes until I decide that they're really junk? Oh boy. What a mess.
My plane to Japan is huge. I'm talking enormous. It has two stories and ten seats in each row. I've never flown over the ocean before! Or in such a big plane! I love flying a lot, but I've never been in a plane for more than nine hours. Maybe I'll hate flying in three days (THREE!!!!!), but I can't imagine that happening. What will I do with myself for that long? Read of course and write probably and Mom says I should make sure I walk around so I don't get clots and die or something. I wish they had a dojo in the back of the plane and I could just work out for fifteen hours. That'd be awesome.
I hope I can bring deoderant on the plane.
My plane to Japan is huge. I'm talking enormous. It has two stories and ten seats in each row. I've never flown over the ocean before! Or in such a big plane! I love flying a lot, but I've never been in a plane for more than nine hours. Maybe I'll hate flying in three days (THREE!!!!!), but I can't imagine that happening. What will I do with myself for that long? Read of course and write probably and Mom says I should make sure I walk around so I don't get clots and die or something. I wish they had a dojo in the back of the plane and I could just work out for fifteen hours. That'd be awesome.
I hope I can bring deoderant on the plane.
Friday, August 11, 2006
Oh dear
Yeah, I'm really close. Really really close. I've gotten some big news since I last posted. My itinerary came in and they "officially" changed my departure date to the 16th instead of the 17th. And by the next day, the had "officially" changed it back to the 17th. So, I am now "officially" leaving in six official days.
Good good good! I want to go! I'm excited about going. Before, I couldn't even picture myself on the plane, but now, I can see myself all the way up to meeting my family (and my councelor and my president and my some other dude). That's good too, but it's a little scary. In my mind, it's completely akward. I don't know how to ask someone's age, but I have no idea how old my little sister is. I CAN say "I'm eighteen, and you?" THat'll have to suffice.
So the travel agency just sent us a bill for about $3,000, and I'm testing for my black belt which is another $100 and I just ruined three of the rims on our car, which is like, $1000 or something. Yeah, don't ask. The closer we get to departure date, the more selfish I feel. Not only am I leaving, but I'm taking my parent's money every step of the way. And then I'm going way out of state for college. Maybe that's a dumb move. I CAN'T go to college here. I know that for sure. But maybe Wooster or Shepherd or West Virginia Wesleyan aren't so bad. Maybe I'm doing something bad. I really want to go to Whitman College, but not so badly that I'm willing to give up climbing Mt. Fuji. But a few things. I'm going to get scholarships. I will. I will work really hard and get whatever money I can. I'm smart and going to be a black belt (cross your fingers on that one) and I'll have the Japan experience and I play the cello. I'm pretty well-rounded and have a lot of experience in a lot of things. I'll have a job when I get back too and that'll help. I didn't get one this summer because I'm only going to be in town for a short bit of time.
Okay, so how many books to bring? Seven? Five? I'm thinking four in my suitcase and one on my carry on. But if the pages are wet or something, they won't let me on. Haha, next they'll ban sweat. They'll force everyone to wear extra stregth men's deoderant before they let you on the plane and if you refuse, you'll be thrown in prison. Haha!
Good good good! I want to go! I'm excited about going. Before, I couldn't even picture myself on the plane, but now, I can see myself all the way up to meeting my family (and my councelor and my president and my some other dude). That's good too, but it's a little scary. In my mind, it's completely akward. I don't know how to ask someone's age, but I have no idea how old my little sister is. I CAN say "I'm eighteen, and you?" THat'll have to suffice.
So the travel agency just sent us a bill for about $3,000, and I'm testing for my black belt which is another $100 and I just ruined three of the rims on our car, which is like, $1000 or something. Yeah, don't ask. The closer we get to departure date, the more selfish I feel. Not only am I leaving, but I'm taking my parent's money every step of the way. And then I'm going way out of state for college. Maybe that's a dumb move. I CAN'T go to college here. I know that for sure. But maybe Wooster or Shepherd or West Virginia Wesleyan aren't so bad. Maybe I'm doing something bad. I really want to go to Whitman College, but not so badly that I'm willing to give up climbing Mt. Fuji. But a few things. I'm going to get scholarships. I will. I will work really hard and get whatever money I can. I'm smart and going to be a black belt (cross your fingers on that one) and I'll have the Japan experience and I play the cello. I'm pretty well-rounded and have a lot of experience in a lot of things. I'll have a job when I get back too and that'll help. I didn't get one this summer because I'm only going to be in town for a short bit of time.
Okay, so how many books to bring? Seven? Five? I'm thinking four in my suitcase and one on my carry on. But if the pages are wet or something, they won't let me on. Haha, next they'll ban sweat. They'll force everyone to wear extra stregth men's deoderant before they let you on the plane and if you refuse, you'll be thrown in prison. Haha!
Friday, August 04, 2006
No time to lose
Oh man, I'm feeling the stress. I'm not super nervous, but I'm having first rate mood swings. Yeah, I hope I'm done with that before I go. I can just see it now: "Hello, we're your family." "AHH! You're stupid! I hate stupid people! I hate you! The plane ride was terrible and this airport is stupid!" I say stupid a lot when I'm angry. Hey, there are worse words than "stupid" to fall back on.
Okay, happy place. I'm not upset now, but I don't know how long that will last. The closer I get (13 days, for those of you not religiously keeping track), the wierder it seems. Yeah right, like I'm really going to live in a country where I don't know anyone and can't speak the language. I don't even think such a country exists! It's all a joke. Haha, don't worry, we have college all lined up for you after all. The funny thing (well, one of the funny things) is that if I was preparing myself for college right now instead of Japan, I'm sure I would have a lot of the same feelings. Wow! A whole other place away from my parents (still love ya, Mom) on the other side of the country! Cool! But now it's just like, whatever, college. Oh, you're going to college? Doesn't that sound like fun?
My passport and my visa still have yet to arrive, but more significantly in my mind, my itinerary is still out there, floating through stacks and stacks of mail. It might be 14 days. It might be 17 days. Oh no, I might die if I have to wait 17 whole days! (Hows that for drama?) The stupid mail never comes early enough. Later and later every day. Infuriating!
So 13 days (really 12 seeing as I'm writing this past midnight). How am I spending my last few days in the states? I'm swimming every night, hugging the kids every day, cramming a lot of karate in before my black belt test in just five days, trying to impart whatever wisdom I've picked up these past few years to Jeff, and of course, packing my room for the next kid and trying to decide which of my cherished books gets a free ride to Japan in my suitcase. On that note, I don't have time to be writing this!
Okay, happy place. I'm not upset now, but I don't know how long that will last. The closer I get (13 days, for those of you not religiously keeping track), the wierder it seems. Yeah right, like I'm really going to live in a country where I don't know anyone and can't speak the language. I don't even think such a country exists! It's all a joke. Haha, don't worry, we have college all lined up for you after all. The funny thing (well, one of the funny things) is that if I was preparing myself for college right now instead of Japan, I'm sure I would have a lot of the same feelings. Wow! A whole other place away from my parents (still love ya, Mom) on the other side of the country! Cool! But now it's just like, whatever, college. Oh, you're going to college? Doesn't that sound like fun?
My passport and my visa still have yet to arrive, but more significantly in my mind, my itinerary is still out there, floating through stacks and stacks of mail. It might be 14 days. It might be 17 days. Oh no, I might die if I have to wait 17 whole days! (Hows that for drama?) The stupid mail never comes early enough. Later and later every day. Infuriating!
So 13 days (really 12 seeing as I'm writing this past midnight). How am I spending my last few days in the states? I'm swimming every night, hugging the kids every day, cramming a lot of karate in before my black belt test in just five days, trying to impart whatever wisdom I've picked up these past few years to Jeff, and of course, packing my room for the next kid and trying to decide which of my cherished books gets a free ride to Japan in my suitcase. On that note, I don't have time to be writing this!
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