finals

It's finally here. The last stretch of the program, our final week of classes here at the JCMU.

Outside of speeches, the covering of the final chapter in our textbooks for our final exam next week Thursday, preparations are beginning to be made for the long trip home. My friends and I made a short trip this weekend to the next station over to do some last minute shopping/gift buying. I had my first and last Japanese Subway experience (I cannot emphasize to the extent which I missed Jalapenos in my food. Or rather, flavor in my food. Or cooked chicken.), Rory got to revert to the age of 5 and buy all of the action figures of his favorite show here in Japan, Ashley was able to buy some Harley Davidson merchandise for gifts for people back home, and Jenny got to revisit a overstock clothing store that she loves.

After the shopping fun, Ashley, Jenny and I biked to Caines and bought new suitcases to bring back the extra junk we bought here for you people. The best part? After my decision to get a size and a half larger suitcase (at a difference of 20,000 yen = about 25 bucks) the cashier rung it up as the same price that the smaller one would have been. Hello $50 hard cover suitcase that is the same size as the suitcase I brought to Japan with me.

It's been crowded here for the last two days or so with the Birdman Contest happening over Lake Biwa. Contestants and their teams put together a flying apparatus and see how far over the lake they can fly in it. They even built a huge ramp for the event for them to launch off of. It's quite a big deal and apparently is an annual contest held in Japan every summer.

Instead of sit out in the sun and burn, I've been packing up omiyage (souvenirs) and sorting what I want to go in either suitcase, as well as doing the necessary laundry so that I have clean what I need for my final week, etc etc etc while watching the contest on occasion .

This coming week we have classes until Wednesday, Thursday is our final exam, Friday is closing ceremonies, then Saturday we are heading to the airport in Nagoya (a $50 trip via the Shinkansen) because our flight is so early in the morning on Sunday. The end is in sight! I loved every moment of this study abroad and the time that I've spent here is neither to short nor too long. I couldn't be anymore satisfied, and for that I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to travel here in the first place.

America, here I come.