In 12 hours I will be departing for my fall study abroad trip in China and Japan. In the past couple years it's been a goal of mine to live overseas and in a couple of days I'll be able to cross that off my "list of things to do before i die" list. My itinerary:
01 Sep Chicago/O'Hare (12:30pm) to Tokyo/Narita (3:25pm Sep 2nd)
02 Sep Tokyo/Narita (6:00pm) to Beijing (8:55pm)
25 Oct Beijing (1:55pm) to Osaka/Kansai (5:45pm)
17 Dec Osaka/Itami (8:30am) to Tokyo/Narita (9:50am)
17 Dec Tokyo/Narita (12:10pm) to Chicago/O'Hare (8:30am)
Besides this information we are uninformed about any other details about the trip - classes, times, transportation in Beijing, etc. I'm not scared, but excited that we'll be thrown into Beijing and have to figure it out all on our own. In France the entire two weeks was organized down to the hour so this will be a new experience - and a much more individualized one as I will be figuring out a lot on my own. Professor Tad Lehe will be joining us on the trip and as some of you may know, is a Tad scattered. He has not e-mailed us once since we left school and I wouldn't be surprised if we left tomorrow without him on the airplane. Supposedly last years chaperone - Professor Broadhead - was e-mailing weekly, so this trip is not off to the best of starts as far the Professor goes.
I visited Corinne last night and said goodbye to her this morning. Without getting too personal, leaving her was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. However, we both know it is nothing but hellos from here on out and we're both confident we'll make this work. Our relationship is a little unique in that our entire relationship has occurred with the knowledge that I would be leaving in September. It will be good for both of us when I come back to gain a sense of normalcy as a couple.
Small world alert. My acquaintance (sorry if this offends you in any way) Erik Mothersbaugh informed me a couple of months ago that he would also be embarking on a study abroad trip in Asia. Erik is a fellow CLS alum (along with Scott Olsen, the American Idol guy, and Tawny Stone) and goes to Augustana. We shared our trip information, but found out we wouldn't be in any of the same cities at any time in the fall. However, I read Erik's blog the other day and he said he was leaving O'Hare Saturday @ 10am. Upon reading a friendly e-mail from myself, Erik realized he was leaving at 12:30 pm on Saturday, thus putting him on the same flight as yours truly. The Seans would be so proud.
While in Asia I will not be able to access the internet everyday, but you can expect some treats every now and then. I will be posting a Picture of the Day and then I will be posting a seperate Nick Devlin Picture of the Day. No, Nick will not be taking the picture, but will be starring as I give you a real-life perspective on Nick Devlin in Asia. If you know Nick, you should have at least chuckled right there. Nick and I are also in the beginning stages of creating weekly webisodes in Asia. At this time no details will be shared, but stayed tuned for more information.
My last American meal was a Mesquite Chicken with Bacon from Quiznos. Although Michael Cera refers to it as "Shitnos" I have grown to love this sandwich and support Shitnos 100%. Just get there before 7pm because they like to close early, thus receiving burning crosses in front of their store.
Well, I think that about sums it up. It's officially September 1st and time to leave. I'm apprehensive and nervous, but mostly excited. It's not everyday you come across a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I've got one in my suitcase upstairs. Wish me luck.
Oh, I bought a cardigan at the Village Discount a couple of weeks ago and Corinne sewed up the sleeves. It has become my favorite article of clothing, pushing my Johnny and the Leisure Suits hat to 2nd place.
Have fun this fall.
