Embark

Just four more days. Four more days and I'm off to Japan. You might still hear from me from time to time, maybe we'll exchange a few emails, but ultimately, you won't see me again for at least a year. Because in just four more days, 96 hours from now, I'll be gone.
　　
There are so many ways to go about this that I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel. I get attached very easily, to people and places and things that are dear to me, and with how much I've moved and traveled in my life, you'd think I'd be used to it by now. This time I'm trying to distance myself ahead of time, to ease the transition, I suppose. But so far I'm not sure how that's working out.
　　
Then there's the preparation. It's hard to get ready for something like this. I've never been away from home for more than a month, and in those times that were a month long, I've always had family with me. I'm trying to juggle tying up loose ends, what with getting my stuff ready, and trying to spend time with friends. It's funny how for the past six weeks or so that I've been home, the time seemed to move so slowly, just waiting for when I would leave. And now unexpectedly these last few days are hitting me fast and hard.
　　
In any case, it's no use worrying about it. To say that it's only one year sort of diminishes the real length and duration of my journey. One year is a long time. A lot can happen in one year, even though within the context of an entire lifetime, one year may not seem so long. But this may very well be the most significant year of my life up to now. I'm going to see a lot of places, meet a lot of new people, make a lot of new friends. And I'll change and I'll grow and move on to different things. Better things, I hope.
　　
For now I'm counting the days, scrambling to finish work, to get everything I need, to pack all my things, to say goodbye to everyone.

後四日。そして「さようなら、バイバイ。。。」