Whether you are young or old, everyone has a bucket list! I just turned 21, but studying abroad in Tokyo has been on my list for two years and I am excited to finally cross it off. I leave tomorrow. I want to see everything, do everything, eat everything and experience everything. I only have four months so it’s going to be tight. Here is my list of all the wonderful things I hope to cross of my list.

• Visit Shibuya Crossing. I want to visit Shibuya Crossing and absorb the energy, the smells and the sounds and, of course, to make sure I remember everything I will take thousands of photographs. I have been to Time Square, so after this I will be able to say I have visited two of the busiest and most iconic travel locations in the world.

• Climb Mount Fuji. I am not an outdoor girl, but I have climbed Mount Nittany at Penn State because it is tradition. It would seem a shame to travel all the way to Japan and not even attempt to go hiking on Mount Fuji.

• Experience Kabuki theatre. I love Broadway, Off Broadway and live entertainment. In Japan Kabuki is a traditional cultural entertainment experience that I would not dream of missing.

• Visit Okinawa. Much like we visit the shore in the summer, Okinawa is the beach destination for the beach-loving Japanese. While I am not a sunbather or surfer, I can still appreciate the beauty and the sounds of the rolling waves.

• Travel on a bullet train. Surprisingly and disappointingly, there are no bullet trains (called Shinkansen in the Japanese language) in the United States; therefore, I must experience the ultimate speed of a bullet train, which travels up to 320 km/hr!

• Go to a sumo wrestling match. Watching a sumo wrestling match while in Japan would show me a piece of their culture as well as one of their most historically beloved sports. It will surely be an amazing experience as it is the only country to practice sumo professionally.

• Go to a Japanese baseball game. After a little research about sports and popular events in Japan, I learned that the Japanese also love baseball. I am interested in seeing the similarities and differences of what goes on during a Japanese baseball game!

• Visit a temple. I wish I could visit every temple in Japan, but there are simply too many to squeeze into four months! Hopefully, I will be able to visit Sensoji Temple and the Meiji Jingu Shrine in Tokyo as well as Kinkakuji Temple in Kyoto.
• Go to Tokyo Disneyland. I discovered that Tokyo Disneyland is extremely close to my university and it would be ridiculous not to visit a traditional American destination that binds us together.

• Go to a Starbucks and order in Japanese. I have taken three semesters of Japanese and feel that if I can correctly order a complex coffee at Starbucks then I must know a good amount of Japanese. Also, I am interested in the similarities and differences in the food, drink and atmosphere of a Japanese Starbucks.

• Eat as much sushi as possible. In the land that created so many fantastic dishes, I hope I can try as much traditional Japanese food as possible.

I take off on my plane tomorrow (Monday) at 11:25am and arrive at Narita Airport at 2:45pm on Tuesday. I will let you know if I survive the 14-hour flight. Wish me luck!