Pre-departures (more like post but oh well)

Hey oh y’all,

Sorry I haven’t posted recently. These past two weeks have been hectic. What with finals, goodbye parties, moving out of my dorm, driving home, last minute shopping and packing, and whatnot have kind of left me a little out of it. One really should not try to pack for 9 months, complete all the omiyage/Christmas shopping, say enough goodbyes, and eat enough home food, etc. in less than 2 days.

But as I’ve talked to people, it’s really awesome to hear how much people are interested in my trip. It was really nice seeing and/or hearing from everyone these past few weeks.

Although by the time this is posted, I’ve probably already arrived in Taiwan, I thought it would be nice to start with some pre-departure FAQ.

Are you ready?

No. I wasn’t even ready this morning (4 hours before flight departure, I was still rearranging my stuff). I wasn’t even fully convinced I was leaving until I sat down in the terminal.

Have you packed?

No and yes. No in the sense that packed implies a sense of being organized, prepared, and set.

Yes in the sense that I’ve got 2 suitcases (50 pounds each), a small duffel, and a large backpack all full. But having 120+ pounds of stuff does not make me feel any more ready. If anything, that only worries me more (what did I forget, do I really need that, where did I put that, and how in the world will I be able to carry this across two countries by myself?).

Follow-up: Who fills 2 suitcases for 50 pounds each?

Helter-skelter pack rats. Runs in the Calica side of the family. If you think you need it, you do. If not, you still do. And even though you have one, you probably need two.

But actually – a lot of the stuff consists of gifts. Without spoiling too much of what I’m bringing, I’ll sort of explain omiyage. In Japan (and probably many other countries in Asia), it is considered customary and polite to bring gifts for just about every occasion: returning from a trip, visiting someone’s home, moving in, starting a new job, holidays, etc. Given that study abroad through a homestay is a various combination of all of these, I think it might be in my best interest to at least bring something. Customary gifts include: tourist-y souvenirs and chocolates. Thus explains my many trips to See’s Candies (or at the very least justifies my frequent trips for samples).

Long story short: I (hopefully) have enough outfits for a cold winter, a muggy hot summer, school, hanging out, and a summer job. Then, I (again hopefully) have enough omiyage for my various hosts and visits.

Did I remember everything, Sumi-chan?

What are you most looking forward to?

Seeing my friends in Asia. The holidays.

What are you most worried about?

Public transportation. Growing up in Southern California, we didn’t exactly take public transportation all that often. Being at Stanford, where my class is quite literally 30 seconds away from my dorm, didn’t really help that either. So, trip planning and timing aren’t exactly my strong points. It’s hard enough when I try in America. I don’t even know how I’ll manage it in Asian countries. Yes, the signs will probably come translated, but let’s be honest, the thought of getting lost in a foreign country is a bit nerve-wracking.

And probably the most frequently asked: 9 months is a long time to be away from home, Stanford, America, etc. Why are you going for 9-months? What will you do? How are you handling it? Will you be ok?

You also forgot to note that I haven’t been abroad (or even out of California) for more than 2 weeks at a time. And while you could argue that I’ve already dealt with being away from home by being at college, I am only a 2-hour trip away from home, and I average a trip home every other month. That, and I’m fairly comfortable going to the Target next to school (an important part of living by "one's self").

Not knowing the rules of road, the lay of the land, or even just how and where to buy toothpaste, isn’t exactly cause for confidence.

But no matter how scared I may be, I do have two things to be incredibly grateful for:

One is having a failsafe – just like at Stanford and at home, I know that in Taiwan and Japan, I have a support network of really awesome friends to help me if I need it.

Two is support and confidence from everyone back home – my friends and family have all shown such love and support. You have believed in me, so I’ll believe in me too.

Yatte-mitte-gambaru-yo (I will try and work hard).

DC