Getting prepared, and a look back at the last trip

With just 12 days to go until I fly to Japan, I'm in the middle of making sure everything is set and ready to go for my return. Just like in 2001 when I was preparing to go for study abroad, I've had to spend four months filling out every single form imaginable. Its a long process but the reward is well worth it. Already I have my visa work done, my airline ticket is reserved, my place in Japan set, and all sorts of other little things have been taken care of. So now I can just relax and try to practice my Japanese the next few weeks. But as they say, the waiting is the hardest part.

As I get ready, I can't help but continue to look back at my last trip, when I spent a year studying at Sophia University. It was a amazing time living in the center of Tokyo, as well as studying as a small university. Having come from the University of Texas, which at that time was the biggest US university, it was a very interesting change. The things I did there and the people I met were the best! I'm hoping to move back to Tokyo in the near future too, as its a wonderful place. I'm so glad I'm very close to, since I'll be living in Kofu.

To show off that wonderful year I created a website, which I still update, and will be a companion to this one. The website is located at:

http://www.geocities.com/bebopcowboy

I must apologize for the numerous spelling and grammatical errors in my pieces. I never seemed to fix those. Perhaps I can finally do that soon. Check out the site as there are lots of wonderful stories and pictures of my last trip to Japan. And I plan on posting more things there once I have moved back to Japan.