Preparations

With the dawn of the summer here in Texas (okay, okay, really, summer in Texas begins in April) has come the end of “the nightmare that makes all other nightmares soil themselves in fear and run away screaming like little girls” – junior year.

So for the past week I have been celebrating; shredding old tests and lounging around the poolside with friends (burning like a vampire in the sun, I might add). The sky is clear, fire ants are biting, life is sweet, and I never have to face a Physics AP test ever, ever again. But underneath those feelings of immense relief and heat-induced laziness dwells a festering anticipation for July to arrive. The weeks ahead are going to be long as I wait for that plane ride across the Pacific, but luckily, for my patience and my sanity, I have plenty of activities to keep myself from going crazy.

I would be blatantly lying if I said that I was not preparing for Japan by reading manga and watching anime – because I totally am. I have dusted off my old Fruits Basket collection and popped in Spirited Away and while that may seem ridiculously nerdy to most (and it really is), it’s something I have missed doing this past school year. All that time away from reveling in my own geekiness is something I haven’t gotten enough of lately, and with the welcome end of school and the trip approaching, I wouldn’t put it past myself to watch old episodes of Pokemon on Youtube (and by old, I mean old. Like, where there are only 151 pokemon and Ash’s sidekicks are Misty and Brock).

Of course, besides geeking out and annoying my friends with talk of Japanese pop culture, I have been perpetually thinking about the trip. Not so much daydreaming or fantasizing, but just thinking.  Thinking about where I’ll be staying and the kinds of kids I might befriend and the inevitable culture shock and the strange food and the fact that everything will be written in a foreign language and so many other things that my head is hurting a little bit and my adrenal glands are worn out from the constant anticipation and excitement. There isn’t too much I absolutely plan on doing – of course, I want to learn as much of the language as I can and immerse myself in the culture until I forget that I am, in fact, an American citizen – but mostly I just want to find adventure in Japan, try crazy new things and meet crazy new people. I want to just be there, truly be there and blend in with the surroundings (as well as any 5’7’’, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, English-speaking girl can in Tokyo).

One day, I’ll probably look back on this and laugh. Not so much out of condescending adoration for my younger self’s borderline-fanatical enthusiasm with Japan or inability to write without using italics and parentheses, but more out of nostalgic memories of the excitement of forthcoming adventure. One day, I’ll read this and remember all the escapades I got myself into and the fun I had and the friends I made. One day I’ll look at this blog and smile.

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