The last official week of IUC classes also happened to coincide with the last week of school before finals at UW, so naturally we all had to go out and celebrate:
Guess what I'm wearing under my robe?
Too cool for you
Kelly may hate me
DJ Dillon on the tables
I'm still in disbelief we're already in June and now I have to figure out what the hell to do with myself. On top of getting out as many job applications as possible (hopefully I'm not jinxing myself when I say I feel like I'm finally hitting my stride with getting cover letters and resumes together... at the very least it isn't like pulling teeth any more), there's just so much stuff in the coming weeks that I'm kind of short of breath thinking about it. From my vantage point right now, the rest of the month is going to go something like this:
Week of June 5 - June 11
June 5 - Interview Final for IUC; try not to have a panic attack because it's Otake-sensei
June 7 - Networking event in Bellevue
June 6 - 8 - Cai coming to Seattle???
June 8 - Final evaluation session with Aoki-sensei
June 9 - Convocation (aka, I can't believe I'm doing this again)
June 9 - 12 - Jenn in Seattle!!
Week of June 12 - 18
June 12 - 15? 16?? - Washington, D.C. ??? Ugh, I don't even know any more.
June 17 - Tara back in Seattle!! But only for one night
June 17 - Tara back in Seattle!! But only for one night
June 17? 18? - Helpin' the Bolen-Ziegler's move
Week of June 19-26
Find time to move out yet again because...
JUNE 27 - FLY BACK TO JAPAN!!
It's going to be stressful getting to that point, but I am really looking forward to going back. Somewhere in the next 3 weeks I need to study for the JLPT, as that's the majority of the reason I am headed back. It's going to be hard to keep going since the built-in structure of IUC - unfortunately my greatest motivator to study is so as to avoid the disapproving looks of teachers - is not longer there. And with all the running around that I'm going to have to do before I leave, I can already hear myself making excuses not to sit down with the the 3 billion flashcards I've made or to review the grammar points I studied this past quarter. I'm still unsure as to whether or not I'll pass this test, but this is certainly the most expensive exam that I've ever signed up for and I really need to give this my all to make good on the intellectual and financial investment.
But I'd be lying if I said that this was all about the test. There is of course the fact that I feel owed a chance to make up for lost time. Everything in Japan ended so suddenly that even though I had a week's notice to move back to Seattle, that week was so fraught with mental and physical strain that there was little enjoyment to be had. I look back and I still don't know how I got through it. It's childish, I know, but when something is taken from me, I feel compelled to try and get it back. 3 weeks in Japan isn't going to make-up for the 3 months that I missed, but it's the best I can do at this point.
As it stands, my itinerary for Japan looks something like this:
Monday, 6/27
Depart Seattle for Narita 1:30pm
Tuesday, 6/28
Arrive Narita 3:30pm - head to Meguro to meet Syd and Speed
Dinner in Meguro with Syd, Speed and maybe Alex right before he leaves (??)
Jet-lagged induced crash on Syd's floor
Wednesday, 6/29
Depart Tokyo for Nagoya (possibly by bus... need to cut as many financial corners as possible)
Reunite with the host parents:
Stay cool as possible (there's probably about a 20-30 degree difference between Seattle and Japan in the summer), stay calm, and study ass off from 6/29 because...
Sunday, 7/3
JLPT: ENGAGE. Hold your loved ones tight.
After the test is over, I'm going to party it up with the host parents and enjoy myself as much as possible.
Monday, 7/11, or Tuesday 7/12
Depart Nagoya (::sniff::) for Tokyo (again, probably by bus)
Go find Syd and Speed...
And from then until Monday, 7/18, run amok with as many IUC people as are still around (come play with us, forever and ever), and hopefully Aoki is able to plan that BBQ/party he's promised at his house (!!! good work, Speed) for either Saturday, 7/16 or Sunday, 7/17
Monday, 7/18
Depart Narita for Sea-Tac (ugh, with a 4 hour layover in LAX... I want to shoot myself) at 2:55pm
Somehow - through the magic of time travel - arrive 20 minutes earlier at 2:35pm at Sea-Tac. Rendezvous with Kelly and move-in once again with her and Chuck in Ballard.
Frantically begin looking for work wherever I can find it.
Writing this all down give me whiplash, but I'll pull it off in the end. Stephen Colbert doesn't seem as optimistic, though:
I'm expecting more than a few bumps along the way, especially since my stress level is at an all time high (imagine that, I dare you). But then again this exists, so anything is possible:
But I'd be lying if I said that this was all about the test. There is of course the fact that I feel owed a chance to make up for lost time. Everything in Japan ended so suddenly that even though I had a week's notice to move back to Seattle, that week was so fraught with mental and physical strain that there was little enjoyment to be had. I look back and I still don't know how I got through it. It's childish, I know, but when something is taken from me, I feel compelled to try and get it back. 3 weeks in Japan isn't going to make-up for the 3 months that I missed, but it's the best I can do at this point.
As it stands, my itinerary for Japan looks something like this:
Monday, 6/27
Depart Seattle for Narita 1:30pm
Tuesday, 6/28
Arrive Narita 3:30pm - head to Meguro to meet Syd and Speed
Dinner in Meguro with Syd, Speed and maybe Alex right before he leaves (??)
Jet-lagged induced crash on Syd's floor
Wednesday, 6/29
Depart Tokyo for Nagoya (possibly by bus... need to cut as many financial corners as possible)
Reunite with the host parents:
Sunday, 7/3
JLPT: ENGAGE. Hold your loved ones tight.
After the test is over, I'm going to party it up with the host parents and enjoy myself as much as possible.
Monday, 7/11, or Tuesday 7/12
Depart Nagoya (::sniff::) for Tokyo (again, probably by bus)
Go find Syd and Speed...
And from then until Monday, 7/18, run amok with as many IUC people as are still around (come play with us, forever and ever), and hopefully Aoki is able to plan that BBQ/party he's promised at his house (!!! good work, Speed) for either Saturday, 7/16 or Sunday, 7/17
Monday, 7/18
Depart Narita for Sea-Tac (ugh, with a 4 hour layover in LAX... I want to shoot myself) at 2:55pm
Somehow - through the magic of time travel - arrive 20 minutes earlier at 2:35pm at Sea-Tac. Rendezvous with Kelly and move-in once again with her and Chuck in Ballard.
Frantically begin looking for work wherever I can find it.
Writing this all down give me whiplash, but I'll pull it off in the end. Stephen Colbert doesn't seem as optimistic, though:
I'm expecting more than a few bumps along the way, especially since my stress level is at an all time high (imagine that, I dare you). But then again this exists, so anything is possible:
Dammit.
Let the Bolen-Zieglers know that I can help them move too. And there's no repercussions, because all I own is a futon.
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