Well, the time has come!

I’ve just finished my packing and preparations so all things are “go”. I worked really hard to not haul so much stuff with me this time—I forced myself to limit my packing by bringing 1 carry-on and 1 carry-on sized bag that I’m going to check. Even with that limitation, there were several things I had to take out of my pile. Sigh. It’s a never-ending struggle, but then again I’m going somewhere for a month and that takes more stuff. I’m a pretty efficient traveler, but then again I usually don’t go for such long stays, nor do I take along a big stack of reference books and dictionaries!

The shuttle comes to pick me up at 4:00 AM tomorrow morning (YIKES!!!), whisking me to LAX for my first flight to SFO and from there to KIX (Kansai International, Osaka). I’m actually getting there a day later than I should be due to a communications snafu, but it’s no big deal. Unlike last time, I’m traveling alone and will need to make my own way to Kyoto after arriving (a pretty easy thing to do in a country known for its extremely efficient public transportation).

So hopefully you’ll see another journal entry on the 20th after I arrive. I can’t wait!