So it Begins

It is now 10:42 PM Central Time, Sunday night, USA.  In 36.5 hours, I'll be aboard my plane, in my cushy window seat, about to leave my home country for the first time.
Am I ready?


I'm as ready as I'll ever be.  I've got my passport, spending money, copied important documents, and over 70 lbs in luggage...
Packing list, to some degree of detail:

• clothes

1. rain jacket, light hoodie, heavy hoodie, jacket, winter coat (which I don't have room for.. so I'll be wearing it/bringing it on the flight TAT)
2. 3 long sleeve undershirts (thermal)
3. 4 tshirts/tops
4. 2 nicer tops
5. 2 pants, pair of capris, and the shorts I'll be wearing

• toiletries (including 2 mo supply of feminine supply)
• 2 hankerchiefs and hand sanitizer
• camera, DS (with a handy Japanese dictionary on it), phone (not to be used, but for alarm, etc), netbook,flashdrives, and my iPod
• 2 load fold up laundry hamper
• hair dryer
• shoes- dressy, flip flops, walking, and winter boots
• towels
• flash light
• power strip

What I am to be expecting upon arrival?


We are being placed in university apartments for international students. There is a 50 dollar cleaning fee...  Teren, a fellow student that's been there all summer says that he's never seen anyone come clean anything...  There is no AC and gas is quite expensive... yeah this is going to be interesting.


Other than the less than perfect rooms, I'm sure it's going to be awesome!

Sapporo 札幌

I will be attending Sapporo University in Sapporo, Hokkaido as an exchange student, taking classes in Japanese.
I'm a Japanese major at my university in the States, and have been taking Japanese for 7 years now... I'm still not fluent, and I stumble over basic things a lot. Still... I can think in Japanese and have confidence in my ability to speak like a first grader. "I want this, I don't want that. Where is this? What is that? Let's go eat, I'm sorry, I can't go," etc.  The point is that this will probably change everything, and help me so much <3
I'll be staying from September through the end of December, just in time for Christmas. I'll be getting 12 credit hours, and basically be finishing my major.


Welcome to my blog, covering my four month trip to Japan.
Feel free to leave comments, or questions, or suggestions.