I have never been to Osaka, Japan, nor any part of "mainland" Japan. In fact, I have only lived in Okinawa, and that was when I was pretty young. I have not been in Japan, or any Asian country for that matter, in about twenty years. But I am going, and you may join me through this blog, should you so desire.
I anticipate many things, yet somehow simultaneously expect nothing because I'm not sure what to expect. I'll be honest, I am scared. I'm excited, too, but over the months of preparation that excitement has slowly been supplanted by a steadily increasing apprehension. I don't feel ready for what I'm about to embark upon. Then again, isn't that half the adventure?
A lot of work and planning has gone into this trip. Well, that and begging for money. Thanks to the Gilman International Institute, I was awarded $4,500 towards my trip - a little under half the estimated costs ($13k). Thanks to my generous parents, who were willing to forfeit hard-earned frequent flier miles, I didn't have to buy a plane ticket, so that drops the estimated costs to about $11k. That's a lot of money, but still, it's not so bad. That $11k should cover everything. This includes room, board, spending money, tuition, etc. So I'm not in bad shape. Try covering all of your expenses alongside university tuition in the U.S. for a paltry $22k/year. Good luck with that, let me know how it goes.
A lot of work and planning has gone into this trip. Well, that and begging for money. Thanks to the Gilman International Institute, I was awarded $4,500 towards my trip - a little under half the estimated costs ($13k). Thanks to my generous parents, who were willing to forfeit hard-earned frequent flier miles, I didn't have to buy a plane ticket, so that drops the estimated costs to about $11k. That's a lot of money, but still, it's not so bad. That $11k should cover everything. This includes room, board, spending money, tuition, etc. So I'm not in bad shape. Try covering all of your expenses alongside university tuition in the U.S. for a paltry $22k/year. Good luck with that, let me know how it goes.
I will be spending one semester at Osaka University. I have said this sentence approximately 4 billion times since I discovered I was accepted into the exchange program. I am honestly tired of the way it sounds. It's interesting the responses when people find out I am going to Japan. Many people just go, "Oh." but some people get genuinely excited or dare I say, overly excited. I don't know what to do with that kind of energy. When someone starts in with "WOW! THAT IS GOING TO BE SO INCREDIBLE FOR YOU! I MEAN, FIVE MONTHS IN JAPAN THAT'S AMAZING!" and all I can feel is an overwhelming lack of preparedness and apprehension, it's hard to respond appropriately. Still, I know that the excitement they're feeling is what I felt during the planning stages of this little journey, and I anticipate that once I land in Japan and spend a few days there, fear will be overrun by some sense of wonder.
Japan is, after all, a magical place.
Further, I won't be alone. Two other students in my school, one of which I'm at least somewhat familiar with, were accepted into the program. It just so happens that the girl I know and I are going to be in the same dorm building, even. That should take some of the strain of a new environment off. And dorm life. I have never lived in a dorm and I'm not looking forward to it, especially in a place where the room is likely to be about the size of my current bathroom. Still, there are going to be so many amazing things that it will be worth it. I don't want you to think, dear reader, that I don't want to go on this trip. I absolutely want to go on this trip and have put a lot of work and money and time into getting to where it's a reality. But, it's a bit like what I imagine skydiving is like. You buy a ticket to do it, take some sort of brief preparatory course, wait in line, board the plane with your parachute pack, wait in line to jump and then suddenly it's YOU on the precipice, you staring down a seemingly endless distance between you and safety. I'm going to jump, but I'm going to be scared as shit until I'm taken up in the wonder of it all.
I am a very adaptable person, and have moved frequently in my life. In all honesty, I am accustomed to being away from friends and even family, to a point. I will miss everyone, but I can cope with the distance from my human contemporaries. It's my cat that I'm not sure how I'll deal with being separated from. He has just been absolutely constant in my life in the eight plus years I've had him; a little furry shadow that's everywhere I am when I'm at home, and waiting for me when I'm not. I can tell my parents I love them and I'll see them soon, I can stay in touch with friends and family via e-mail or the phone, but my cat just won't understand what's happened to me. We've barely been separated since the day he was weaned and I brought him home. I am going to miss him terribly.
How could anyone not miss this face, anyway?
My plan thus far is to use this blogspot account to keep a log or journal of happenings while I'm in Japan. I don't know how dedicated I'll be to it, how frequently I'll update, or whether it'll even be interesting when and if I do use it, but that's the PLAN anyway. I make no guarantees up front, and if you don't care for the content, I will cheerfully refund your money.
Ciao, or I guess I should say, jaa mata ne.
