Kyodai liked to keep me waiting and this seems to be continuing. My friends from my degree class are all at the stage of collecting their visa.

I have not, once again, received anything...

They did say it would be early September and it is currently not even late August (or maybe it is, how do you judge the late/earliness of a month?) but PANICKING. The thing is, it takes one week for the consulate to process the visa application. That means at the very latest I could hand it to them on the 13th and I love leaving things to the last minute normally... but that is just too close for comfort.

And there are still a million and one things I should be doing. Instead, I'm panicking inside my head or trying to prevent the panic by playing video games.

I've been thinking about a list recently. I'm not much of a list person because that implies organisation and as I've already said, panicking is my friend... but here is my to do list, that is undoubtedly incomplete and useless.

SARAH'S PANIC REDUCING LIST THING

1 Bagpack - I love shoulder bags because they are pretty. But I also love carrying everything I've ever owned ever with me at all times. I can't take another year of shoulder-breaking agony. This time I will be sensible, if I need to carry around uni books, my netbook, massive Japanese mobile phone, denshi jisho, camera, make-up bag, hand sanitiser and all the other kinda pointless stuff I must always have... then I will be spreading the weight across two shoulders.

2 A decent sized suitcase - I love clothes and hats and shoes and all other pretty things. And I need to take more clothes than I will ever need.

3 Camera Case - I'm indelicate and it will stop it getting scratched and stuff.

4 Small, travel sized toiletries - I know I can get everything I need in Japan. Except deodorant because the Japanese don't sweat like us white folks but when I first arrive after over 24 hours of travelling and with the wonder that is jetlag, I am not gonna want to investigate for shower supplies. I can do that once I've got my bearings.

5 Yen - I wonder how many people travel from Scotland to Japan. It is probably more than I think but still not enough to justify easy access to yen. I have no idea where to get it/how to get it... but I have the advantage of being one of the last to leave. When I discover this information, I will pass it on!

6 Studying Materials - I need to decide what I really should take to Japan and what I could live without... of course there is always the option of buying cheaper study materials in Japan and leaving more space for stuff I don't need.

7 iPod - smashed the screen of my most precious electronic device after 4 years of beautiful friendship. The replacement will hopefully be just as loyal and help with don't-talk-to-me-I-have-earphones-in-and-am-too-cool-for-your-words.


It doesn't seem like much to do and it seems like it's still kind of far away but... I don't feel prepared. Maybe it is something you cannot prepare for. Maybe it's going to feel like this no matter how much I pretend organise but... I just want to know what to be ready for.

Flights

Of course I am flying to Japan (the other option was to walk but I doubt I have the stamina).

I've been putting off booking the actual flight for a while, but still casually browsing my options for ages. Mostly because.... scary and I needed to have my parents around.

But! It has been booked and I will leave Edinburgh on the 21st of September and arrive in Osaka at 2pm the next day. The flight was under £600 which isn't too bad.

It was a (partial) success. On one hand, I desperately wanted to land in Japan during the day. Something about landing when it was dark made me nervous. And it seemed... friendlier. But... I didn't want more than one change. Of course I have two.

But! They aren't terrible. Two hours in London, two hours in Beijing.

My flight also leaves earlyish in the morning which is a positive, I didn't want to be waiting all day. The excitement may have killed me and dying now would just be the biggest anti-climax in the history of the world.

One of the stupid things I am looking forward to is the "lasts".

Things that won't be easy to get in Japan that my parents or friends couldn't send. Take-out food. Shopping with my friends. British chocolate (apparently Dairy Milk doesn't taste the same in Japan and they probably could send chocolate but... shush). Video games not on my DS. My friends. My parents. And the dogs! And more food because food.

Not that I want to leave these things but I like the idea of experiencing them for one last time before I leave It's sort of comforting.

Another thing I am looking forward to is my best friend is coming to see me at the airport. Of course I'll cry and it's nothing short of tragic my dogs won't be there... But I want to see the people I will miss the most just before I leave for something close to 11 months.


Back to relevant stuff...

Once I arrive in Osaka, I will be getting some sort of magical bus/taxi/horse-drawn carriage to the Ritsumeikan dorm/apartmenty things where I will sleep on the floor.

http://www.yasaka.jp/english/index.html

Here is the link.

They are suggested by Rits where my boyfriend is going so he passed on the knowledge. I'll talk more about how they were and my flight once I am in Japan!

I should warn I may not have internet straight away. My boyfriend's accommodation make you set it up yourself and he doesn't really know how long that will take... More exciting Japanese mysteries!

I have some pretty good intentions ( but when do I not?) I want to explore a little and have an idea of Kyoto before classes start and I am thrown into the university routine. And work out buses. Public transport is intimidating enough in Edinburgh.

And I want a bike. I love bikes. Like so much. Except Scotland isn't bike country. Rain and wind and more rain constantly doesn't encourage cycling.When I imagine myself on a bike in Kyoto it is slightly more idyllic than the reality will be. I will probably be huffing and puffing down the streets, cursing the tail end of the Japanese summer.

And the excitement of Japanese grocery stores and convenience stores...  And Japanese food and... too much excitement for now!

Sarah ^^