Pre-Departure Mindset

Currently sitting in the Roosevelt Hotel in Seattle, trying to stay awake long enough so that I get enough sleep to not be exhausted tomorrow morning, but not so much that I can't sleep on the plane. Difficult game this is. The bed is comfy, the room is quiet and I like to sleep. The eyelids droop already.

So having left Montana again, my kin and my animals (holy man it is WAAAAY harder to say goodbye to my animals than to my family...), I think about what lies ahead of me. Today I had a pre-departure orientation where all the Seattle/Spokane members were able to meet each other. All of us were all snazzed up in our business attire and looking pretty dang professional if I might say. We had all of our immediate questions answered as well as a guest speaker. The weirdest thing happened though. She was talking about these random people who went to Japan one way, and came back completely different. So she was talking about one guy and was in the process of introducing the next, and all I could think was..."Oh man...she's going to talk about Lafcadio Hearn...I just know it. Here it comes...the Hearn talk" AND HOLY MAN SHE TOTALLY DID TALK ABOUT HIM!! There was nothing to indicate that she was going to talk about him, but I thought it...and she did! It was like magic. Maybe Hogwarts needs to rethink not accepting me into their school. :D

Then we went to the Consul General of Japan's private residence. His house is beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. I need to become him so I can live in a spectacular house like that. I wish we had been allowed to tour the house a bit more, instead of the one room that we saw...with the amazing chandelier, but alas...just sparkle sparkle.

There we had a few speeches. Japanese speeches. Great fun....

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.......

And by that I mean they usually make a really good point, but they are so LONG. I love a good speech as much as the next person, but not when I'm wearing high-heels, a suit and it is a million degrees out (ok, it was like...70, but MUCH too warm for suit attire. ...And to think that Japan is going to be worse...death...death.)

Everyone talks about how JET gives back as much as you put into it. I would love to put in so much effort and time and love. I have so many great ideas about things to do and how to get involved, but I hate to have this big plan all lined up only to have no interest in it from the Japan side. And also I still just don't know enough about where I'm going to be living/teaching to feel really encouraged to carry out these plans.

I definitely feel special because I was accepted by the JET program, which I hadn't really felt before. No doubt I felt good about it, but not really special, but I'm kinda feeling that right now. Maybe that's because this program was invited to the residence of the Consul General. Maybe because I talked to someone who made me feel completely ok with not knowing what I want to do. Or maybe it's something else entirely. Either way, I feel good right now.

Of course I'm nervous as all get out...I just won't really feel it till I'm in Japan again. Honestly, it doesn't even seem like I'm going to fly to Japan tomorrow. But I am...and that's crazy exciting/insane.

The next post...will be in the land of the rising sun.

Treat me well again Japan!

P.S. I love caprese salad. Where am I going to find balsamic vinegar OR mozzarella in Japan??