Musings

Things have really started to speed up. I have now been in Japan for over three weeks, closer to a month. This sojourn is now officially longer than my previous one two years ago. Now I have classes, exams, and homework. While each individual class is not particularly difficult they each require me to expend a great deal of effort and collectively become a lot to handle. But I want the challenge - I appreciate it. At least I am able to focus on Japanese, and Japanese alone. All of my classes are language study courses, but each focuses on a different aspect of the language. I truly hope my Japanese skills as a whole improve from all this study at Keio and from my experiences outside of the classroom as well.

My social life has also grown. Monday through Friday I study hard, and Friday night through Sunday night I party just as hard. The trick is to find a balance between education and social life. Both are important, but that's easier said than done. My health, energy, and stamina have been alright so far, but I am concerned that I might be pushing a little too hard. There has just been a lot of stress on my physical and emotional self lately. I don’t eat as much, sleep as much, or relax as much. I am always running around, but I try my best to take care of myself. 

I have yet to really become lonely or homesick. It’s hard to miss my old life when I am so full of new experiences. There is a disconnect that keeps my feelings about home compartmentalized. 

I have a lot of time to myself now, or should I say time I get to do whatever I want with. Since coming here it feels like I both have fewer responsibilities and have somehow taken on more. Really it’s the quality of my responsibilities that have changed. Now I only take care of myself, no one else, but that entails a great deal. Often times I miss having a more interdependent life style. My intention has been to learn more about myself, rediscover and strengthen who I am as an individual. I feel I am learning to become a genuine adult. 

This blog is still really important to me, but unfortunately the gap between where I left off chronologically in my story telling and the current time keeps growing. I have been very busy and my time consumed by other things. But I still want to maintain this record of my experiences, so once things settle down more I promise to update it again the best I can. Maybe the posts won't be as long and detailed, but I will do my best to put up whatever I can to share with you all and to preserve these memories for myself for the future.