Less Than 10 Days...! I Can't Believable!!

With only 9 days left until D-Day ("D"eparture "Day") the excitement is rising! Along with this joyous excitement also comes the replaying of this message in my head;

"So much to do and so little time to do it!"

Still to do...(while still working full-time)

1. Move all furniture/belongings to storage
2. Convert $500 USD to $50,000 YEN
3. Convert remaining savings to Travelers checks
4. Buy a laptop bag
5. Buy warm knee high socks (recommended be the teacher I'm replacing - she said "You will wear them out!")
6. Body Wash
7. Cinnamon-Sugar coated pecans ("Omiyage" - a gift for my fellow teachers and manager)
8. Go through clothes and decide exactly which clothes stay and which are the lucky winners and get to go on a world-wind trip to Japan!
9. Say any last goodbye's to all my amazing friends and family! (Y'all ROCK!! Lovz you!)
10. PACK, PACK, PACK!!!!!!

Done...

1. Airfare $1076
2. Work Visa $40 (the Visa has no cost - only pay gas to drive to the Japanese Consulate)
3. Computer debugging $40 (gotta have a working computer - that's fo sho!)
4. Dog/Me Haircuts $130
5. Buy luggage $250 (splurged a little - I can't turn down HUGE UT Orange duffelbag suitcases!)
6. Buy 4 business suits $200 (hard to find stylist suits for $50/each...but did it!)
7. Year Supply of Hygeine products $85 (deodorant, toothpaste, makeup)
8. Classroom clog/slippers $20 (you don't wear dress shoes in the classroom)
9. Comfy dress shoes $20 (to walk to work in)
10. Had great times with friends and family over the last couple of months!
*A surprise birthday party where all my besties showed up (I actually shed a tear - love them!) and an Aries Birthday Bash the following day at my buddies' house!
*Went to the beach in South Padre and a little too much fun the first night, ha!
*Pecan Street Festival and Eeyores Birthday (but it was closing...boo)
*A RollerDerby (the pillow fighting was my favorite part!!!)
*Saw the new Nightmare on Elm Street (of course - horror junkie's have to see it!)

This next 9 days will be filled with completing my to-do list above while working full-time until 2 days before I leave. Gotta keep working to have the recommended $2000 USD in my pocket to live on for the 6 weeks until payday! Gotta do whatchya gotta do!

Check back soon for all the adventures along the way!

By the way, I am not permitted to post pictures or use names of my fellow teachers or students - Japan takes privacy very seriously - but don't worry I can tell great stories without names and pictures!

Put on your safety helmet, elbowpads and seatbelt and get ready to experience this wild adventure alongside me in JAPAN!!!!!

**Ad-ven-ture [ad-ven-cher] -noun. 1. an exciting or very unusual experience 2. participation in exciting undertakings or enterprises: the spirit of adventure 3. a bold, usually risky undertaking; hazardous action of uncertain outcome.

Love,
The Guinea Pig of Life!
"Let me experience it for you!"