*Disclaimer*: I have been in Tokyo, Japan, for two weeks now; and, while this post was written before I arrived, due to the lack of free Wifi for desperate American college students to mooch off of, I was only able to post now.

As I sat in my Political Science class back in late February, I pondered the direction my future was taking. I was frustrated because I hadn’t yet heard back about my applications for summer internships (albeit prematurely), and my extreme lack of patience and my bad habit of thinking way too far into the future became a dangerous combination. So rather than listening to the ongoing lecture on the history of government formation in post-partition India (sorry, Professor) I decided to look into something totally unexpected: studying abroad. I closed down my Facebook homepage (again, sorry Prof.) and went over to the Global Studies site to think about studying abroad over the summer. From my brief research, I decided that studying abroad was the answer to all my questions, that Tokyo would be my destination, and that I could most definitely take on whatever this six-week excursion would entail. So, by the end of that same hour and fifteen minute class, I had begun the application and made the life-changing decision to go abroad (I promise that I do usually pay attention in class).

Spending six weeks learning the Japanese language in Tokyo was not how I expected to spend my summer. I had envisioned a typical summer: spending weekdays interning in an office and weekends relaxing at the beach at my hometown in California. I’ve spent my life growing up there, and my time abroad has only consisted school-sponsored and family short trips. On top of all that, I’ve spent the past nine years taking Spanish classes and am pursuing a Spanish minor at school. So, I began to think, “What business do I have in even going to Tokyo and trying to learn an entirely new language in a country I’ve never been before?” Other than my interest in global cultures as an International Relations major and my interest in Asia having had been to China and Korea before, I really didn’t have a connection to the place I was studying or even the subject I would be learning. I then decided then that the point of the program would be this: I would have a learning experience to take me outside of my comfort zone and beyond the borders of a typical classroom. Thenceforth, I used this as my mind set for my new adventure.

A short four months later I find myself here, two days away from my 11-½ hour flight across the Pacific. I sit surrounded by a pile of clothes, those freshly bought and old-time favorites, in an effort to discover what is considered appropriate attire for “plum rain season.” Alongside me is a first aid kit crafted by my mom so large that it would make UHS jealous in order to prepare for the bizarre lack of access sometimes to basic medicines in my host country. I am having to make the difficult decision as to which Penn State sweatshirt to pack as my Dad astutely advises me that with an average temperature of 80 degrees and high humidity, I won’t be needing all five of the ones I brought home. I switch between an overwhelming excitement in anticipation of this new experience and an immeasurable fear of a “What I have gotten myself into?” kind of way. Even though I sometimes look at my near empty suitcase as a metaphor for the unknown that comes along with living in a foreign country ( indeed, a tad dramatic), I keep reminding myself that my love of travel, language, and culture are what inspired me to make this journey in the first place. I can’t wait to eat the fresh sushi at Tsukiji fish market, to look over the Tokyo skyline from Tokyo Skytree, to shop in Harajuku, and to sing away at karaoke in Shinjuku. These are the things that are helping me to  to pack because I know that while the unexpected that awaits me in Tokyo is daunting, I’m a million times more excited than anything else.

So now that my trip is looming near, the nerves that had been building have almost seemed to evaporate. For every worry that I think of, I think of three more things that I am excited about experiencing in Japan. I think of the food, the culture, the language, and the new friends and experiences that I am going accumulate while I am there, and I am beginning to get peace of mind. Even though I am nervous for this new adventure, I can’t help but be thrilled at what lies ahead. Hopefully I’ll have some great stories for Geoblog, and can help inspire others to take a leap just like I did (or at least get a laugh out of the tribulations I’m sure to incur with my nonexistent Japanese).

So, Sayonara America! See you in seven weeks, and let the adventure begin!
P.S. Please make sure that nothing happens to Chipotle while I’m gone!

Location: Orange County, California