Pre-Departure/The First Post

Hello Blog World (more realistically, Hello Family Members!)! How should I properly start this?

My name is Courtney and I am a complete novice when it comes to blogging. I love reading blogs, though, so I thought I would start my own! My plan for this blog is to post pictures and videos of my time in Asia!

Starting in two weeks (oh my god, it's two weeks from now) I will be living, working, and studying in Asia for a year. I was offered an amazing internship in Tokyo, Japan working in the corporate offices of the Japanese grocery store Co-Op for ten weeks this summer. Following that, I will be moving to Seongnam, Korea (basically Seoul) to start my junior year at Gachon University. 

Now that you know (or have already known, Hi Mom!) about what this blog is about, I'll let the rambling begin. :)

I've been neglecting planning for this trip for the longest time and now that it's two weeks away I'm starting to become more and more terrified. There was always the excuse of school and studying that allowed me to further procrastinate getting my ducks in a line for this. I've been keeping a notebook handy to jot down my random brain surges of what I think I might need while I'm there. Currently, the most important thing on my list seems to be socks. 

What I think is an artsy shot of (lack of) my preparation. 

As I sit here writing this, I slowly and beginning to realize how terrified I am of actually going to Asia by myself for a year. All of the international trips I've been privileged to go on have been with family or friends and for the first time, I'm all alone. My family credits me too much with sensibility, but I'm scared that I'll be overwhelmed with a tidal wave of anxiety and hysteria as I schelp the three suitcases that are my life through Narita on my first day in Japan. We'll see. I shouldn't dwell too much on my fear. 

Before I go, I'm visiting my family here in Atlanta. My grandparents so thoughtfully put together a going away party with my whole extended family! My grandma, Gigi, spent hours researching Japanese and Korean phrases that expressed my family's feelings for me! She did such a great job! I was so grateful that my whole family could make it and show their support for me. I really am going to miss them and the comfort of home while I'm away.

(Pink: We'll miss you, Green: Good luck, Red: Congratulations, Yellow: Good job, Orange: We love you)

So I guess I'll conclude my first post here! Hopefully my blog will get better with time. I have so much on my mind right now that it's hard to make a concise first post. Thanks for making it through! :)


Please email me with questions or suggestions for entries at courtnes@email.arizona.edu