Preparing for the journey

Trip Start Sep 14, 2005
Trip End Feb 04, 2006

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Flag of Finland  ,
Thursday, September 8, 2005

Whatever makes you leave the comfort of your own home and head for other side of the globe I'll never know. A couple of years ago USA sounded like a good idea and off I went. A couple of years later Japan started sounding interesting and well, I guess I'm going (even though it hasn't fully hit me yet).

I decided when I was around 13 that on my second year in university I would go on an exchange (hmm.. don't ask me how a 13-year-old can be so sure of even getting into a university.. :D) but that decision has hold up, even after years and changes in life in general. I'm going on a bilateral exchange agreement to Ryukoku University, which is on three campuses near Kyoto. I'll be studying in Japanese and Asian Studies -program, which is in English. I figured that after 43 credits on the first year (to anyone unfamiliar with the Finnish university system; that's friggin' many credits) I deserve some time just to observe the culture, not fretting about the weekly Kanji tests and translation assigments which were supposed to be done the day before. So, my main goal in Japan is to learn about the culture, perhaps even get to use the Japanese I've learnt in one year (which isn't awfully lot.. Hai! So desu ne!).

I'll be leaving behind my family, friends, bf and a little puffy sheltie named Rimma. Obviously I'll miss them, but as the Kilroy Travels advertisements put it, "If it isn't the world getting smaller, it's your ass getting bigger - go before it's too late".

Somebody once said that there are only two basic emotions in an aeroplane; boredom and terror. After the 9-hour-flight and that great air bump when landing to Detroit in 2003 I agree. A lot of planes have been crashing down lately, and pretty hefty typhoons have swept over Japan, but fingers crossed everything'll go fine.

Well, to see how it all went down (hopefully not the plane.. at least not in a crash!) check here once I actually am in Japan (the departure is on 14th of September).

Seacrest out. No, me out. As in Myrri out. Roger roger!
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