okay, so I am fail at blogging. I have been writing, just not here.

A lot has happened since the beginning of March. Mom's visit, a spectacular and rather bizzare breakdown of a friendship, a great beginning of a new one, cherry blossoms like crazy, another visit to see Adryn, my very first stageplay on my own (including some kabuki elements), a short but fun Golden Week excursion to Tokyo, and a fun filled sunny weekend in Hiroshima. Just to name a few. I have also learned to speak about the energy crisis and environmental concerns in Japanese. I know, cause I'm gonna use that a lot right? And now its almost over. Photobucket has been evil for a while now abot letting me upload pictures. But I'll give it another go. Exams are upon me. But my oral exam is out of the way so as long as I can get through the written Japanese exam I should be fine. After that its graduation ceremony, and then I've got some free time I hope to utilize to see the kanto people again. Then back to Osaka to move out, catch that last concert we bought tickets to AGES ago, and then back to Tokyo for that show Anna's friend has extra seats for, and my flight home. I'll be touching down in the good old USofA in the evening on June 2nd. Slightly crazy from the tme difference, but no worse for the wear.

I've honestly loved the whole time here. Not to say its been all easy, it most certainly hasn't. But I love Japan, from the slightly unnerving gaijin stares to the incredibly convient convience stores (you can seriously buy anything at Lawson). I think I've surprised myself at how much I've been able to do on my own. I have traveled, a lot, and several times completely on my lonesome. Despite nearly missing a few buses, and a few other near misses with disaster, its been pretty okay. Not bad for someone who has really never been anywhere seriously long-distance alone in her life. Within the state and trips with friends don't count. I am now amazingly familiar with the route between Tokyo and Osaka, by a few different means, and can navigate a train system with minimal flailing. The real test was when mom came, and with just the two of us I had to get us from place to place all on my own. Before that I had almost always had another person who could speak a little Japanese with me. But I really surprised myself.

And I really liked Hiroshima, its a pretty peaceful place (a no I'm not making a peace park pun here), it really was a relaxing sort of trip. I think I'm gonna miss Japan, more specificaly Kansai and even more specifically Hirakata a lot. Going back to Boone will be way different, we're pretty far from the city there. Being close to both Osaka and Kyoto has been a real blessing. Its been fun, and I've learned a lot. A lot about myself and my own culture surprisingly. I've never really had a chance to speak to other native english speakers, not from America, for a long period of time. And its amazing how much the same and how different we are.

I know everyone back home will be waiting to hear about how different Japan and the other exchange students were, but the fact is, what surprised me most was how much we did have in common (although can you imagine someone not knowing what a biscuit is? blasphemy).

Okay enough waxing poetic for now. I'll try to write again soon and talk about Hiroshima since it was the most recent.