On anticipation…

I really had meant to do more writing this week, still I suppose packing should really take precedence, given that ONE WEEK from today I will be beginning a journey that will see me pitch up in Tokyo for a 12-month stay.

That said, it seems a shame to let this time, which I described to a pal last night as being ‘like a whole month of Christmas Eves when you were seven’, slide by without acknowledgement.  It hasn’t all been mundane ‘will that fit in my suitcase’, ‘how will I ever remember the katakana’ and ‘what if I arrive but my suitcase doesn’t?’-type considerations.

In amongst all that, and alongside the to-do list from hell, are the more esoteric notions that I am sure must cross the minds of everyone when they leave somewhere, about gaining a different perspective on everything that is familiar to me, including home, country and politics, striking out on my own and seeing a bit more of the world.

People have asked if I am nervous and I suppose I should be, even if only slightly.  Except that with all the planning that has gone into the move and all the waiting around for the final departure date, all I can honestly say I feel is excitement.  Carpe diem and all of that.

ten minutes hate wishes you all extremely enjoyable and fulfilling weekends!