Japan, Here I Come!

     The last couple of weeks have been remarkable and exhausting. I found out that I have been short-listed for the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program(!!!!!!!!!), to depart on July 28th after a pre-departure orientation in Chicago. I am awaiting notification of my placement, and I can't wait to connect with my Board of Education (Contracting Organization) and my predecessor for more information.
      The gap in my posts is due to the long wait before I was notified of my new position as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT). Now, I must make time for writing and reflecting about the initial steps of my journey, although it seems that I have so many other things to think about before I leave the country in 3 months: finishing up my second year of AmeriCorps and my TEFL Certification class, planning a wedding reception and a "get-rid-of-all-my-material-possessions" garage sale. 
     Before my departure, I am learning as much Japanese as I can. I made a day-by-day syllabus, until July 28th, utilizing all the resources available to me: textbooks, software, podcasts, films, a speaking club, the internets, and cultural events like the Como Park Japanese Garden Tea Ceremony, the Japan America Society of Minnesota (JASM)'s Kanna Networking Club, the U of M's N-Dimensional Japan, and the JET Alumni Association of Minnesota's former JET panel this summer. In June, will be taking a trip to Chicago with my Minnesota JET compatriots for a team-teaching seminar and Q&A session with former JETs put on by the Japanese Consulate. 
     My packing list is under constant revision, with the thanks of the current JET, Macalester Alumni who have been so kindly and thoroughly advising me. My pre-departure to-do list includes all the nitty gritty of figuring out taxes, shipping, money exchanging, and teaching materials. One thing I do well is prepare; however, the tumult is a challenge to quell.