After I decided to go on EAP, I talked to a guy who went to ICU the year before. The main thing he warned me about was getting stuck in your own apartment, forgetting to go out, make friends, and actually LIVE in Japan. I don't think his experience was particularly successful in the way he wanted it to be. I'm about halfway done with my year and I finally understand what he meant. Up until now, I've always been going out, going to school and doing things, but now that school is out for a couple of months, it's very, very easy to just not want to go out. I finally have the chance to just stop fighting everything here. If I stay in my apartment, I don't have to fight my sleepiness, get dressed presentably, fight the rush on the trains, or struggle to be understood. It's just easier to stay in sometimes.
But that's no way to live. I've had a weird pattern of going out one day and being a complete hermit the next, but I think that needs to change. It's very unhealthy for my sleeping patterns. I've had my week of being lazy and getting in touch with friends from the States. Time to go do things. ...Not that that is really 'work', but it can be expensive and confusing. I need to start speaking more Japanese. Really, Sophia makes it so easy to just...not.
Upcoming things for break: shopping for birthday presents, shopping for spring clothes (yay! I need new shoes so badly...), Disney Sea (for my birthday), Dean & Deluca with Aya, Hokkaido with Hannah, Korea with Monique, Yokohama with Nobuko, FujiQ, Nick visiting, Visit Kris in Gifu (Nagoya?)...
