T - 2 days, 21 hours, 48 minutes, and about 53 seconds

Travel Itinerary
June 1- July 28 Princeton in Ishikawa Program
July 29- August 3 Hanging Around Japan
August 4- September 1 Beijing
September 1 Return to NYC and Yale



So I think it has finally settled in that I am going to Japan (and then China) for the summer. And with that has come the painful realization that I am not quite prepared in terms of packing and such. That said, I thought what better way to start a blog than by writing up my to do list for the upcoming journey~ that way I get a nice start blog that might help some of you who still have some pre-trip stuff to do and also have a written reminder that will help me keep on task. Here are some of the "essential tasks" I have yet or am currently undertaking to make sure everything is five by five once I get to Japan:

Things I've Done
-applied for a Chinese visa (ready for pick up on Wed)
-sent an email to my host family
-scanned baby pictures to show to host family (everyone seems to get a kick out of these)
-made sure my digi cam/computer/electronic dictionary are all in good working order
-organized all important papers (copies of passport, tickets, host family info, PII booklet) into one folder
-checked out where I can pick up a JR pass exchange order
-bought a guidebook on Beijing


TO DO
-pack
-buy omiyage
-coordinate where to meet Wilma, fellow PII student in Narita
-actually buy a JR pass, or figure out how to get one in Japan...
-make plans for the week after PII ends (which will probably require said JR pass)
-exchange money
-notify credit card companies that I will be abroad (hmm, I'll let Mom do this one)
-take pictures of Chicago to give mini-presentation to host family
-unpack half of whatever I put in my suitcase (knowing me, I'll still have more than enough clothes for 13 weeks)
-say goodbye to friends/family for the summer
-get one last slice of deep dish

Having been to Japan before, I can confidently say which things I can leave at home since they are either readily available in Japan or not necessary:

-more than one sweater/sweatshirt (seriously- it's waaay humid and hot, no need to waste valuable suitcase space)
-shampoo/conditioner/toothpaste/cream/facial wash (all readily available in Japan, and usually given away in hotels/hostels)
-clothes I wouldn't wear in front of my grandmother (hot as it may get, showing skin just won't cut it)
-an umbrella (I debated with myself on this one, but they are super cheap in Japan and cumbersome to try to pack)
-books (if you're a Yalie, I'm assuming you're tempted to bring some reading material with you to last you those lonely nights of a Nihongo Dake summer... really, it's not worth it, books are just plain heavy and Japan will have MORE than enough awesome things to do that you shouldn't be stuck at home reading.... Even so, I'm bringing a "Dictionary of Japanese Basic Grammar" and the Lonely Planet Guide for Japan just for reference)
-pens/pencils/paper (again, all these can be bought in Japan, and as an aficionado of mechanical pencils, I can tell you that Japan has a nice collection of those extra thin pens which are harder to get in the US and make writing kanji all the easier)

Well, while this list is by no means exhaustive- it'll certainly have me up most of the night trying to get things in order, so I'll be off. See you soon in Ishikawa!