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.