3:33am, T-Minus 9 Hours 12 Minutes

Sojourner's Highlight: Procrastination was fine in university, but don't employ it universally.

I'm an idiot.

I know it's early in the post to be repeating myself, but upon realisation of the magnitude of my idiocy, I feel the revelation bears reiteration: if you couldn't tell already (because it was news to me) I'm a huge idiot!

I had not spent ONE minute prior to today (actually, now it's yesterday) attempting to pack my luggage. In fact, prior to today I didn't even know which luggage I would be using. Actually, I'm still not really sure which luggage I'll ultimately be taking with me.

I spent all morning gathering my belongings from around the house, as well as throwing nearly all my clothing into the laundry (three loads). Eventually, I amassed a large pile of my miscellany upon my bed and stared at it in confused horror. Then I proceeded to attempt to stuff said miscellany into my clearly too small duffel bag-thingamajig.

In the middle of the day, we had a JET meeting to receive our tickets and passports back. Surprisingly this was the first time we actually found out when our flight leaves tomorrow/today. (-Oh, and my criminal check was in the JET office, buried deep in their pile of growing miscellany.) I could have simply checked the airport website, but that thought never occured to me. So, interestingly, neither my doting mother nor devoted father will be able to attend the usual Airport Farewell. Fortunately my awesome eldest brother has both the desire to accompany me to my departure and the vehicular means to enable transport thereto.

By the way, I know 'thereto' is a really dorky word, but at this time of night/morning, I think my imagined audience can forgive me.

I don't know what else to say, really. I'm in an absolutely bizzare, but calm, content disposition presently. You know, 'it hasn't sunk in yet.' Not quite real yet. Imminent, yet still hard to believe.

I will write a post more thoughtfully reflecting back upon this past few weeks, perhaps killing some of the 10 hour flight to Narita, Tokyo. For now, mostly I wanted to impress a warning upon any other likeminded idiots out there with a procastinatory academic modus operandi: you can B.S. your way through a paper the night before it's due without too much trouble; however, you can't B.S. baggage into being bigger. Plan ahead, pack earlier.

this is no time for blogging!!

Sojourner's Highlight: Pack sooner!

I need to clean up my room, my crap, my garage.
Should I have bought another tie or two?
Orientation meeting today.
Dinner tonight.
I leave tomorrow.
I need to pack-
how the hell am I going to pack?

No time!

Eeep!

busy

Sojourner's Highlight: The week before you go is not 7 days, but 168 hours to the minute.

For Example:

8:30am - 12pm Finish some landscaping in the yard of a nice lady I do some work for.

12pm - 1:30pm Do a 'rapid shop' buying (only) TWO articles of clothing and a plug adapter, in case I do end up needing it, and subsequently freaking out once more about spending too much money and reconsidering whether my appearance actually IS important and I SHOULD be spending this much money on clothes. Also, while at the mall, exchange some dollars into Yen, provoking many thoughts about my insufficiently thought out banking/credit/money situation.

1:30-1:50 ish Write a BlogPost while simultaneously trying to contact the Consulate of Japan because the JET coordinator cannot locate my criminal records check, even though I know it's in their office somewhere.

1:50-2:30pm Probably go to the police station and request another crminal records check, somehow making them rush it so it only takes a day this time, instead of the 10 in the snailmail it took last time, so that I can take it with me to pre-departure seminar on Friday and I am allowed to go to Japan after all.

2:30pm-3:30pm Have some lunch, get back to reading one of those japanese 'historical novels' because I stayed up till 2am the other day finishing the Deathly Hollows.

3:30-6ish Visit with cousin-friend, for a hike or coffee or something, deep conversation, and a heartfelt farewell.

7ish - 11ish Visit with Juan de Fuca companion, possibly going to fireworks, possibly simply seeking that quality time that is so hard to come by.

11-1am Get my bag out and stuff some stuff into it to see just how much stuff I should be able to stuff in my luggage.

I'm pretty sure yesterday was busier, though.