Fuh-REAKING Out!

You can only live in denial for so long before reality hits like a ton of bricks. I've been la-di-da-ing my way through the summer. Japanese language CDs have been properly ignored and evenings have been spent in bliss with friends. Once you get asked the question, "So, what day do you leave?" and you can count the number of days to departure on your fingers and toes, it's time to begin the freak out. I've started chucking odds and ends on my sister's bed (sorry, Brooke!) and buying stickers and pom-pom critters to try to buy new friends at school. I've calculated how many more days I have at the gym before I leave and am trying desperately to pawn my car off on someone (for money, of course). I'm finally working on my pictures from the last trip and am annoying my predecessor with question after question... mostly about shoes. Thanks to this feverish pace, the next two weeks are guaranteed to fly by.

The worst part is knowing you most likely won't see family and friends for a year. My mom seems to think that I enjoy jetting off and leaving them behind, but that's the most difficult part of leaving. However, you can't just stay in a place in order to avoid good-byes. What's making this transition even worse is knowing that Ken and I will be parting ways after a couple of days in Tokyo together. I don't know if we've gone more than 2 days without seeing each other since we started dating. At least we will have various forms of electronic communication to rely on. . . Why couldn't JET cooperate with our grand plans? We'll just have to be more creative and work it out. We'll call it Plan B.

It's strange to know that I have an apartment waiting for me in Okinawa (or at least one lined up) and that I'll be commuting to work driving on the left. I'm going to sit in meetings having no clue what is being said with a stupid smile on my face. I'll be forced to drink sake and do karaoke until the wee hours of the morning. I'm going to try to conquer my fear of scubadiving and will probably try karate... The good news is I've already talked to quite a few nice girls (new and old to the program) and feel like there will be a great support system. I'll need someone to grab coffee or go to the beach with. Of course these new friendships are only supplements to everyone back home (email me!!!). I might start a campaign to go old-school and make sure everyone has AOL Instant Messenger like the college days. What do you think? Break out the old screen names?

I'll keep you posted as I try to figure out how to smuggle in contact lenses (can only bring a two month supply) and where exactly my favorite sheets are going to fit in my luggate.

REMINDER: JULY 22. Be there. Bring some food and drinks. We're not rich.