Well, it’s five days till we go to Japan. I’ve been spending most of my time with family and friends, which has grown almost exponentially these last few weeks. When I left for my road trip in the middle of August, there were only our two new roommates, Melanie and Stalin, and my mom. Now we are temporarily housing Will, a longtime friend, and Yvonne, one of Melanie’s close friends. In addition to that, our pet population has more than doubled. We now have three dogs, two cats, a turtle, and a snake. We are the free equivalent of a hostel.
It’s been a pleasant surprise, however. Everyone gets together remarkably well, and the pets are doing just fine. Instead of having strangers stay in our house, it just feels like our family has expanded.
On the other hand, the fact that I’m going to Japan has finally hit me. To steady my nerves I’ve envisioned every single detail of landing in Japan. Then to make sure I’m not one of those passive-aggressive anal types, I run it over and over in my head. Each time I visualize it, landing in Japan and doing simple things like walking to the grocery store become less surreal and more manageable. More than anything, I’m excited for the challenge of everyday life in a country where I don’t know the language. Although, the thought of being a blue eyed, blonde haired “icon” there still scares me…
-Chris.
