The Final Countdown

As of today, Tyler and I officially have 5 more weeks in Japan. I have; rather, the board of education has purchased my flight from Tokyo to Houston and I will purchase my flight from Houston to Albuquerque soon. I will be making my long trip home on Tuesday the 4th. We have to pay for Tyler’s flight so we are waiting until we can get the cheapest fare before we book it. I believe that my last post explains my anxieties about returning so I won’t go into it again but, I will reiterate that as eager as I am to get back to the states, I am equally sad to be leaving.

Five weeks usually seems like a long time to me but I have no doubt that these will fly. Tyler and I have A LOT going on in these remaining weeks.

1. This week (week 1 we’ll call it) I am preparing a farewell speech to be translated into Japanese. We also have a 4th of July party this Saturday.
2. Week 2 (5th-11th) holds my last visits to two of my schools.
3. Week 3 (12th-18th) brings a farewell party and my final visits to my other two schools. It also holds mine and Tyler’s last English conversation class. Fortunately, the week is ended with my last day of work and Ichinohe’s community beer garden.
4. Week 4 (19th -25th) Is the week that Tyler and I are planning on backpacking around Hokkaido, Japan’s 2nd largest island, to the North of us. Any time that is left will probably be spent maximizing our time with our friends as well.
5. Week 5 (26th-1st) Is the week that we’ll head to Tokyo. Some of our friends are following us down and we’ll spend a few days sightseeing and going to Tokyo Disney. Then, we’ll depart from Japan on the 4th.
   

I am realizing that this doesn't include writing thank you letters, shipping, our weekly English conversation class, packing, cleaning, and canceling utilities. Yikes!

I am looking forward to sharing my experiences with you all soon. See you in 5 weeks!