Finally got my entire visa application in the mail. Freaking out about it - I really hope I didn't mess anything up. The application's signatures need to match my passport's signatures, but I wrote on that thing back in High School. My sig has completely changed since then. So I really hope they're not too strict about that.
Also praying it doesn't get lost in the mail. I had no money left for insurance, having spent it all on the express return envelope. Me being the paranoid girl I am will be worrying about this for days.
Last thing I need to do is get my chest x-rayed. No big deal. That form, plus all the other forms, need to be in Japan by March 18th. Plenty of time. =]
(... watch, my next post will be dated March 17th and I haven't finished everything I needed to! Typical Lori...)
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Plane Tickets: Check
Finally! Time to take "buy plane tickets" off the list to do. It was a little less than $1500. It's the same flight we had seen before at $1300, super cheap, but they decided to be mean and increase the price >[ So we went ahead and bought it before the prices went up anymore. We like this flight the best because the layovers - while there may be two - they're only about 2-3 hours long. All the other flights had crazy layovers. Like, 8-10 hours. No thanks.
But! We got the flight. No more stress ^_^
To Do List:
But! We got the flight. No more stress ^_^
To Do List:
- Chest xray! Do it! I have the form, just got to go to radiology and get it done. Not too worried about this.
- Visa! Get one! I have my flight number now, and I bought some kickass envelopes, so I could potentially do this tomorrow. Found a great tutorial on the NYC Embassy website - not too worried about visa anymore =] Priority: high
- Forms! Fill them out! It isn't really much at all. Gotta get this - and chest xray - done to send in by the 18th. Priority: eh.
I think that's everything...? Oh, and packing, of course. Figuring out how I'm gonna get moneys from home. I'm gonna try to get a Japanese bank account once I'm there. According to Kinjo's orientation, they're letting us purchase an inkan - something needed for bank accounts. So hopefully there will be a workshop or something for me.
Ok, well, time for dinner.
STILL SO EXCITED. Yay Japan.
Til next time <3 <3
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Getting Excited!
I was excited before, but now that I'm actually getting stuff done and not freaking out about it - I have time to feel excited! Yay! I scheduled a chest x-ray (which is actually just another physical) with Student Health for tomorrow. I'm going to pick up my acceptance letter. Marvel at it for a couple hours. And then fill everything out and hopefully have everything done except the Visa.
Raawr the visa. That's the only thing bringing me down right now. I have to figure out how to do that... Sending important documents through mail is NOT SCARY AT ALL. Ahh I'll figure it out..
Still so happy I got the scholarship. The only "application" for it is just filling out my name, school, and address. Oh man! So difficult!
Yes, two posts in one day. It will make up for the lack of updates in the weeks to come =] Hopefully nothing horrible will happen that will warrant an update...
Raawr the visa. That's the only thing bringing me down right now. I have to figure out how to do that... Sending important documents through mail is NOT SCARY AT ALL. Ahh I'll figure it out..
Still so happy I got the scholarship. The only "application" for it is just filling out my name, school, and address. Oh man! So difficult!
Yes, two posts in one day. It will make up for the lack of updates in the weeks to come =] Hopefully nothing horrible will happen that will warrant an update...
Relief!
I got the scholarship. 80k yen a month will significantly help. I just need to fill in the little form, and then send it with all the other paperwork. Proof of health insurance, chest x-ray, etc. Which reminds me. I need to get my chest x-rayed.
My acceptance letter came today, but it's at the office downtown. On campus. Way too hectic for me to go there just for the letter - so I'm gonna try to get the boyfriend to pick it up for me tomorrow. Then I can finally apply for my visa!
Things are looking good. =]
My acceptance letter came today, but it's at the office downtown. On campus. Way too hectic for me to go there just for the letter - so I'm gonna try to get the boyfriend to pick it up for me tomorrow. Then I can finally apply for my visa!
Things are looking good. =]
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Stressy stress
Ah. The upcoming months before going abroad. Always the most stressful moments. I'm trying my best to remain relaxed and optimistic. But the whole "down $2,600" bit is extremely hard to put aside.
This is going to be an emo-heavy post.
We're fixing this situation through e-mails, which can be cryptic. I figured the only way to get the money is to ask FinAid. Dad sent them emails, they replied saying sure whatever (yay??), only now I'm being told that they're giving his loans more money, which is no bueno. I hate that I'm doing this to my father. I know it's not my fault that my mom was suddenly diagnosed with cancer - and any money we would have had is non-existant now.
They said studying abroad isn't too expensive. This is because all the money is first going toward your home school, then essentially & indirectly, the affiliated the school. It was supposed to be "easysauce" but it's getting complicated. Firstly, plane tickets are expensive. I have no clue how to handle money like that (yes. I am a child.) so my dad's taking care of it. I can tell you that I can get a free ticket from Southwest due frequent flier miles - it would take me to the west coast where I can get another plane to Japan. And it's coming out to be the same price as it'd be without the reward...? How does that work?
Whatever.
Secondly, I'm living in an apartment with a May to May lease. The apartment is great. I can live with my boyfriend without any problems, and it's nice. Problem is that I'm leaving March 31st - and Kinjo offers apartments themselves, not so much dorm rooms; gotta pay monthly rent, electric, water, all that. The landlord at my apartment was very nice in letting me change my lease from August to August next year and keep the same rates. But I've still gotta pay two extra months rent for April and May. Despair!
I've also gotta find a rental cellphone for when I'm over there. Another big price for my bill.
Everything seemed good before. We could afford the plane ticket, we weren't worrying about the extra months. I was guaranteed a scholarship (80,000 yen a month anyone?) by Noo-sensei, only I've heard nothing about it from Kinjo. I sent them another e-mail about it, and I feel absolutely horrible. They're letting me into the school, I get to experience Japan, and I'm essentially harassing them to give me money Y__Y
Oh well. So until then, I'm trying to treat this "break" like summer - but with snow. I won't be able to relax and get fat when I get back! I'll have about two weeks until WVU's fall semester. Then winter break. And then a spring semester.
So - shut up and let me sleep =P
This is going to be an emo-heavy post.
We're fixing this situation through e-mails, which can be cryptic. I figured the only way to get the money is to ask FinAid. Dad sent them emails, they replied saying sure whatever (yay??), only now I'm being told that they're giving his loans more money, which is no bueno. I hate that I'm doing this to my father. I know it's not my fault that my mom was suddenly diagnosed with cancer - and any money we would have had is non-existant now.
They said studying abroad isn't too expensive. This is because all the money is first going toward your home school, then essentially & indirectly, the affiliated the school. It was supposed to be "easysauce" but it's getting complicated. Firstly, plane tickets are expensive. I have no clue how to handle money like that (yes. I am a child.) so my dad's taking care of it. I can tell you that I can get a free ticket from Southwest due frequent flier miles - it would take me to the west coast where I can get another plane to Japan. And it's coming out to be the same price as it'd be without the reward...? How does that work?
Whatever.
Secondly, I'm living in an apartment with a May to May lease. The apartment is great. I can live with my boyfriend without any problems, and it's nice. Problem is that I'm leaving March 31st - and Kinjo offers apartments themselves, not so much dorm rooms; gotta pay monthly rent, electric, water, all that. The landlord at my apartment was very nice in letting me change my lease from August to August next year and keep the same rates. But I've still gotta pay two extra months rent for April and May. Despair!
I've also gotta find a rental cellphone for when I'm over there. Another big price for my bill.
Everything seemed good before. We could afford the plane ticket, we weren't worrying about the extra months. I was guaranteed a scholarship (80,000 yen a month anyone?) by Noo-sensei, only I've heard nothing about it from Kinjo. I sent them another e-mail about it, and I feel absolutely horrible. They're letting me into the school, I get to experience Japan, and I'm essentially harassing them to give me money Y__Y
Oh well. So until then, I'm trying to treat this "break" like summer - but with snow. I won't be able to relax and get fat when I get back! I'll have about two weeks until WVU's fall semester. Then winter break. And then a spring semester.
So - shut up and let me sleep =P
Thursday, February 3, 2011
A Little Preface
Now that I've gotten Blogger figured out, maybe I'll let you in on what's been going on, and what this blog will be about. In two months ~ March 31st ~ I will be leaving Morgantown for a 24+ hour plane trip to Nagoya, Japan, where I will study Japanese at Kinjo Gakuin until the end of July. And I could not be more excited.
I'm not too gifted at words, nor am I artsy enough to keep you entertained with stunning photographs, but I will do my best to chronicle my adventure in a pleasing manner. I'll try to keep my ramblings strictly Japan centered. That being said, there probably won't be too many updates until I'm actually there, but perhaps the journey up until that point will be interesting =]
Everyone reading this should know me, but if you're some stranger who happened upon my blog somehow, I'll give you a brief synopsis. I'm twenty years old, a junior at WVU studying Japanese, I have the best boyfriend in the world (back off, creepers!), and - as you would have guessed by now - I am going abroad this semester. My ability to speak Japanese is extremely limited. Do not try to have a conversation with me, I won't be able to keep up. I've only taken 2 years of it, and the past month I've been "auditting" Japanese 304. Not actually enrolled, due to the semester in Japan starting in April. And I haven't been doing much of the homework, so I'm falling behind in actual comprehension. But that's a story for another day. =]
So! Until the Big Day, I still have many many things to do.
I'm not too gifted at words, nor am I artsy enough to keep you entertained with stunning photographs, but I will do my best to chronicle my adventure in a pleasing manner. I'll try to keep my ramblings strictly Japan centered. That being said, there probably won't be too many updates until I'm actually there, but perhaps the journey up until that point will be interesting =]
Everyone reading this should know me, but if you're some stranger who happened upon my blog somehow, I'll give you a brief synopsis. I'm twenty years old, a junior at WVU studying Japanese, I have the best boyfriend in the world (back off, creepers!), and - as you would have guessed by now - I am going abroad this semester. My ability to speak Japanese is extremely limited. Do not try to have a conversation with me, I won't be able to keep up. I've only taken 2 years of it, and the past month I've been "auditting" Japanese 304. Not actually enrolled, due to the semester in Japan starting in April. And I haven't been doing much of the homework, so I'm falling behind in actual comprehension. But that's a story for another day. =]
So! Until the Big Day, I still have many many things to do.
- Buy a plane ticket. Looking at ~$1550 round trip. Ugh.
- Get my visa. For this, I need my CoE, which has yet to arrive.
- Fill out some random forms Kinjo has given me.
- Have my chest x-rayed for them
- Send said forms!
- Get a job??
Big problem with the latter. No one will hire me when I only have 2 months left in the country. Unfortunately, I'm in crazy debt. Don't let your school tell you that studying abroad is "surprisingly affordable." Cause it's not. I have a scholarship that's covering my tuition, and I am still about $2,600 short. Not sure where I'm going to get that money... But! That's another conversation for another time.
I really just meant to start a nice, quaint introduction. It turned into a ramble. ^^; Oh well. Til next time~
Mainstream
Yes, I have decided to make a little blog for my not-so little adventure. Everyone does it. I'm so mainstream! But it'll be cool =] This first post is nothing. I must now play with Blogspot to make it look nice!
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