Welcome! Off to Japan in two days!

Hello everybody!

My name is Heidi, this Saturday I will be leaving for Japan and working as an Assistant Language Teacher for the JET Program. For the next year I will be working at various junior high schools and elementary schools in Nara, Japan.

In this blog I will be recording my travels, posting many many pictures, and just talking about my thoughts and feelings about the whole experience. Please feel free to leave me comments, or send me an e-mail at sleepyrivet@gmail.com and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Right now I am in the process of packing. After several tries of packing and re-packing, I have concluded that there is no way I can fit my whole life in only two bags of 50 pounds each. Being I can't buy clothes in Japan (I am a much larger size than the average Japanese person) I have the extra worry that if I forget something I will have to have it mailed from home. As much as I hate to do it, I will be packing one of my bags extra heavy and then just pay for the costs that they are going to charge me.

Packing aside, I am extremely excited to be leaving so soon! The excitement has been driving me so crazy that I can no longer sleep at night. My mind keeps on thinking of things I need to do and get done. It wont be until I am finally on the plane, that I can finally allow myself to relax. Of course I will probably be too excited on the plane to relax.

With all the excitement, it also makes me slightly sad that I am leaving home. It will be realy difficult to be away from friends, family and my boyfriend. I did get a vonage phone, so I will be taking the box with me and have an American number that people can call me and I can talk to them without having to pay exorbitant amounts of money. (If you want my number, just send me an e-mail) Getting letters in the mail helps too! Feel free to send me letters to Japan, and I will write you back on awesome Japanese stationary!

Here is my address

Heidi Hawkins
Nara shi, Nara ken
Akishinosatsuki Cho 10-10
Sanwa Mansion #216
631-0812 Japan


Tel- 0742-33-3116 (This is a Japanese telephone number... so I wouldn't recommend calling if your not in Japan)

Now, I hope that is right... it is the address my predecessor gave me. She showed me pictures of the apartment, and it is adorable and so very Japanese! Once I get there I will have to post my own pictures.

Now I just need to sit and wait until Saturday! I will be flying in Tokyo, where I will be staying for 3 days. During that time there is a giant orientation for JET Program participants where we learn how to do our job, then we are shipped off to our respective cities and start our jobs! I can't wait, everything seems to be going by so quckly yet slow at the same time.

Wish me luck!