Turns out there was no film in my camera… All those nice shots I took…
I’m almost all packed. Two big suitcases of clothes and small stuff. Almost 45 kilograms. I have no idea how I’ll manage to get from the airport to the dormitory with all of that. I want to take the train cause it goes through the center of the city and it’s the cheapest way. But it’s also the most complicated way. I have a map with directions though so I should manage. I’m getting really excited!
Departure: -42 hours
I’m going back to Warsaw from my hometown. This is the last time I’ll be seeing these roads and buildings. It’s all happening so fast. Unbelievable. It feels so unreal.
Departure: -46 hours
It’s getting really close to my departure. I have almost everything prepared, just pack it up and wait. I’m spending my last hours in Poland with my parents and girlfriend. We’re in my hometown right now, talking and watching tv. I just realized I probably had my last Polish meal made by my mom. It’s all still so unreal for me that I don’t feel sad or anything. I wonder how will I react at the airport.
Japan!
D-day: -3 days
I keep on taking photos to finish the film I have in my slr but it seems to have no end! But maybe it would be cool to develop the film in Japan. I would have a little surprise and a souvenir from home. Yeah, I’ll do that. I hope nothing will happen with the film when they scan in at the airport.
One of my friends bought my painting today to support my trip. She’s very nice, I like her. She’s getting married in a few months. I wish I could be there but I guess it’s impossible. She said she’ll visit me in Japan though! Ah! I can’t wait to go to Japan!
D-day: -4 days
It’s slowly getting to me that I’m going to Japan. I still can’t believe it’s true but falling asleep keeps getting a bit harder. All those thought are starting to bombard my head. I’m getting really excited!
My farewell party turned out quite good. A lot of people came but some were missing. I tried to talk to everyone, be a good host and all that but it was hard. Too many people! Some got drunk but luckily nobody puked and nothing was broken. The party lasted till 4 or 5 a.m. I guess it was a good party:)
The embassy organized a information meeting before the departure. One girl that came back from the scholarship a few years ago told us about different practical stuff about Japan. It got me really excited. Turns out 3 other guys will be on the same plane as me and will also stay in Tokyo.
I’m going to my parents home for the weekend so I don’t know if I’ll be able to write anything more before I leave. If not, see you in Tokyo! Woohooo!
D-day: -11 days
I was a bit wrong about the preparations. It takes a lot more time than I thought. I’m having a farewell party tomorrow. I invited lots of people but I guess about 60 max will come. That means that it’s going to be 1sq meter per person. I wonder how that will turn out and how many people will actually come. I also went shopping for clothes this week. I’m a rather difficult person to shop with. I rarely find the stuff I like but it was totally different this time. I have never bought so much clothes before. And I have to say I like everything I bought. Great!
My last weeks in Poland are so eventful. I meet with my friends almost every evening. Tomorrow I’m going to a recording studio to record some covers I’ve been working on with my other friend. We’ve only recorder ourselves on my phone so we wanted to do this before I leave. I wonder how bad we really sound:P
D-day: -14 days
It’s two weeks before my departure. I’m getting more and more excited every time I count the remaining days. Although my girlfriend has her ups and downs about this everyday, I try not to worry and enjoy every hour.
I went to my hometown for the weekend. My girlfriend was angry and sad. The atmosphere was really bad. Although I tell her all the time that it’s going to be okay, that she’ll visit me and maybe find something for her in Japan, I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m really sad that she can’t feel happy. I don’t know if we’re going to make it through this together till the end. I don’t know if I want us to.
I watched ‘Lost in translation’ yesterday. People told me to watch it so get a glimpse of a foreigners life in Japan. But I didn’t like the movie that much. Two Americans with lots of money that found themselves in a foreign country. They can’t speak the language, don’t know anything about the country nor seem like they want to learn anything about it and act like assholes just because something is different. Not my kind of cinema. I think it’s better to watch a Japanese movie and try to set your mind on their track. At least that’s what I’m trying to do. I want to enjoy my new life as much as I can. I hope I won’t act like a jerk when I get there.
D-day: -17 days
Although I sorted things out with my girlfriend she’s still mad. I know it’s a big thing and that it’s going to be difficult but I wish she could get over it and let us enjoys the whole thing and the days before my departure. It makes me feel sad and a bit angry that she can’t feel happy for me. It would be great to have my last days in Poland spent in peace with people close to me.
I bought a notebook yesterday. I want to study Japanese as much as I can before I leave. I have to become fluent as fast as I can. But the language is so different I’m a bit scared. All the kanji and grammar. But the good part is that they don’t speak English much in Japan and I probably won’t have any Polish friends so I’ll be using Japanese all the time. Ah! It’s going to be great! I can’t wait!
D-day: -18 days
We worked things out with my girlfriend. We will skype, send each other stuff, she’ll come visit and maybe she’ll find some work in Japan? It’ll be good. I can finally enjoy the preparations for my upcoming trip.
My visa and plane ticket should be ready by Wednesday. I have to start packing. But what to take with me? What’s supposed to be necessary and what useless? I guess I’ll only pack some basic clothes, towels, some toiletries. Two years is too long to pack everything. I’ll buy everything else I need in Japan. But I know what I definitely want to take with me.
I have to take my HDD. I got everything there- photos, movies. I’ll have stuff to show to people and something to look at when I get lonely. I also want to take my harmonica. I can’t play it well but I want to make some sounds before I buy a guitar in Japan. It would be great to find some people to play with. I’ll definitely take my SLR with me too. I thought I could send developed photos I take and send them instead of postcards.
I can’t think of anything else to take now. I thought I had more stuff. I have too much stuff going on in my head. Excited!
D-day: -19 days
It’s been a while. The past few days were the worst days of my life. I told my girlfriend about the scholarship. It broke her heart. She doesn’t know if she loves me anymore or trust me. She can’t imagine us apart. It really gets me down. Everyone is telling me that I should cheer up and that she should too. That it’s just two years and that we both will profit from it. But she sees it totally different. I don’t know if we’ll manage to get through this together. I want to try and I believe we can do it. But she doesn’t know. Seeing how someones life is being crushed before you is terrible. To see a woman cry is horrible. But to crush someones life or to make a woman cry is unbearable.
I leave for Japan on April 1st.
On my own in Japan 