PRE-DEPARTURE; Progress Update

Hello,

Since I last posted, I have applied for several scholarships through various departments on campus like the Foreign Language Department and College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences since I am an Anthropology Minor and Anthro is in the CHSBS department.

Things have slowed down a lot since I turned in the big majority of everything for Study Abroad Office, and submitted most of my scholarship applications to the Journalism department.

I do have another scholarship I plan to apply for, the Bridging Japan where I need to write an essay and get together my transcript and letter of recommendation and mail it out before April 8th. 

I have still been active in the Japanese Language Group on campus meeting every week for 2 hours, taking Japanese 202, doing independent language and culture studies on Japan, and I also Skype once a week with a contact of my Sensei's in Osaka, Japan nearby where I will be. 

I also meet in person once a week with another Japanese person where he practices his English and I practice my Japanese for an hour.

I have noticed other blogs of people studying abroad and one thing I find very frustrating sometimes is the lack of details. When I am researching-no detail seems too small when I really want to know more about the culture. However many of them are very informative and helpful.

When I went to Tokyo before I made sure to keep a journal, which I typed up for posts on my Travel Blog, kept receipts from purchases and just made sure to be aware of it all. I plan to do the same again, for readers and myself alike- We Got This!

I am a planner and have of course been planning what I will pack. I have decided to pack as lightly as I think I can get away with. I'm pretty excited for the challenge. Before when I went I was pretty good about what I brought and what I left back home, but I still packed too much for my intentions and plan to do better this time.

I have also been thinking about the layers of the culture I want to explore. I want to see things I didn't get to see before. I want to participate in community functions, agricultural harvests, nature walks and the like. I really am pretty excited for it all.