July 22, 2010

Hello Friends:

In case you don't know how to Google, there is a 13-hour time difference between my East Coast friends and family and me in Japan. So 8:00 a.m. in Greensboro = 10:00 p.m. in Takasaki. We'll have to figure out what time would be best to Skype.

I'm emailing back and forth with my predecessor, and learning a lot about what to expect once I get to Japan. Apparently there's not much going on in the way of insulation, so the apartment is cold in the winter and hot in the summer, but hey, I've always wanted to live like Laura Ingalls Wilder. The good news is that the school is only a 10-minute bike ride away, there is an international market just down the street, and I can take cheap Japanese-language classes close by as well.

My flight for Tokyo leaves Portland, OR at 2:15 Oregon time on Saturday, July 31, and I get to Japan on Sunday, August 1 at 5:00 p.m. Tokyo time. Also, don't be worried I don't email or write for the first few weeks there; I hear it'll take a while to get internet access. Remember that no news is good news!

Also, don't forget that my birthday is Monday, August 2 (I was born on a Monday, too, imagine that). I'll be spending it at Tokyo Orientation getting acclimated to my new life, being with you in spirit. Hooray for 28!

I'll write again as soon as I can, or as soon as something note-worthy happens.

July 9, 2010

Just a few more days until departure time. It's weird leaving one country for another, but then I think, "Well, it's only a year, and millions of people have done this before, so it can't be that bad." And that's the way I handle it.

Tomorrow they're coming for my piano, and next week for my car. All of my earthly possessions are about to be sold or put into storage, with a little left over to carry with me in my suitcase. My mom said today that I might die like Ghandi, with a goat, a spoon, and a bowl as my only possessions. Somehow I doubt that; I'm materialistic enough to want my books and my yarn.

July 4, 2010

Hi everyone,

I've been asked to start a blog while I'm in Japan, so here it is! I'll try to keep you updated on what's going on with my life and I'll post pictures as often as I can.

Today is July 4 and I leave Greensboro, NC exactly two weeks from today. I'll spend a week in Indiana with my sister and her family and then go to Portland, Oregon to visit my brother on July 24. I'll stay with him and his wife (and new baby!!!) for another week, and fly out of Portland for Tokyo, Japan, on July 31, 2010. According to my contract, I will be in Japan until August 1, 2011. (Come visit!)

I'm going to miss North Carolina and everyone here but this is the start to a new chapter in my life. Wish me good luck!