time's up
Three weeks until I leave Eugene and only a few days more until I leave the United States for a year. I can tell the stress is creeping up on me. Even though I'm remaining mostly emotionally stable and on top of things task-wise, I still find myself crushed momentarily by financial or hurried panics. How in God's name will I get everything done, especially if I need to worry about packing some of my things in the case that Justin moves? Yes, now moving factors into it too. At least there's the option of Justin staying here, but he may choose to vacate and go up to Seattle if he gets the job he's interviewing for on Friday before we leave for Glacier. I'm overwhelmed by the sheer weight of all that I have to accomplish in the two weeks I have left here, especially with Glacier in the middle of it all. At least that gives me some time to decompress.

Inconveniently, I managed to get myself sick yesterday and spent most of the day miserable with a sore throat and stuffy head. Thank God all it looks like is a head cold, because today I feel much better except for some post-nasal drip. I was worried that it might be strep throat because (I'm sure you'll thank me for sharing) I managed to give myself a case of folliculitis from an icky razor blade and have strep or staph induced sores under my armpits. I got some nice sterilizing soap that's cleaned up all but two or three sub-cutaneous bumps and it was those that worried me. What if it had gotten into my lymph system? UGH. I feel like a total leper... but I guess I'm lucky I have good health; some people get gross shit like this happening to them all the time. I just want to feel better again so that I can have the energy to get through these long days and then manage to go on a few good climbs next week. At this rate I should be fine.

Still, Justin's right. I don't handle stress particularly well. I'm starting to panic that I won't get the right gifts for my host family, that I'll forget something important, that I won't be able to pack everything, that my luggage will weigh too much, that I'll lose something to customs or to a bad baggage carrier. Christ, there's so much to worry about and I'm SURE I won't care about any of it a week after I get there. Unless, of course, I run out of money. But I think I should be good if I get part time work. Sigh.

It's easier to fathom leaving in a few weeks because I know I have friends already waiting in Tokyo. Chris Covert, a coworker, will be stationed nearby on a work-related position. I've met a few Japanese this year who've returned home. There are the colleages I know already in the program. And there's Kim from 35 degrees. It also helps that everywhere I go on campus I see groups of the Wasedians that just arrived here a few weeks ago from Tokyo. Every morning when I come to work at least 20 of them are sitting outside on the Fenton steps. If I had the courage I'd ask them what they think and what I should expect. But I'm too hurried and too tired to converse. So much to do, so much to do. So little time.