New Adventures, New Challenges

As one adventure is about to end I am ready to start preparing for a new one back in Minnesota.  This past year has been full of challenges, be it language barriers, new places, language barriers, new people, and well, language barriers.  I'll be returning to my home state in less than two weeks.  Yes, a new job awaits me at the University of Minnesota, which will be an adventure and challenge on its own, but I would love some personal challenges to tackle on the side.  That brings me to the following:

I have been extremely aware of my personal belongings the past few days as I've started to eye my closet with a discerning gaze... "Is all of this worth a $75 oversize baggage fee?"  I'll be getting rid of a few loyal, but rather tattered, pieces of clothing and needing a few "new" pieces for my new job back home.  That said, I don't have any money.  Like, none at all.  Juuuust enough to cover another month's worth of loan payments and maybe a sandwich or two on my 18-hour journey home.

My luggage allows me to smuggle a 12-year old child

My awareness and fear of a large amount of personal belongings combined with a lack of money have helped me create my goal for this next year.  And when I say year, I mean starting June 1st, 2011, the day I step a foot back on U.S. soil, through June 1st 2012.  For this next year, I will only purchase used clothing (sans bras, shoes, socks, and underwear).

I've already had a little taste of what Minneapolis has to offer in the realm of thrift shops, and I am thoroughly impressed.  In fact, the pieces of used clothing I own from Buffalo Exchange (and a garbage bag of old clothes my mom's co-worker didn't want anymore) are some of my favorite pieces.  I know I'll be in good hands in Minneapolis, especially with Uptown and its trendiness only a bike ride away.

So, to those of you who have that bag of old clothes sitting in your trunk with a 'Goodwill' label on it, sit back, think if there might be a piece or two I'd like, and send them my way.  Used clothing is even better when it's free!

Anticipation

I'm on my final countdown in Japan.  Fifteen days, three plane rides totaling 18 hours, and only 14,584 km separate me from life back in Minnesota, where in which I will move to a new city and start a new job only five days after stepping off the plane.

Currently, my days consist of... Oh, let's see... knitting, reading, walks, photography, cooking, traveling and cleaning.  In hindsight, my domesticity makes me queasy, but it's rather quite enjoyable.  My current laid-back lifestyle will be contrasted with a new daily life consisting of a REAL job, whatever that means, and the creation of a life of my own. I will be reunited with friends and family; heck, interactions with them alone could fill my schedule.  I have been looking forward to starting a life in the wonderful state of Minnesota for long enough to make me seem incredibly obsessive (just ask Tom).  I dream of Trader Joe's, seeing my niece and nephew, Trader Joe's, meeting with friends at coffee shops (Isles Bun & Coffee!), biking on Minneapolis' excellent bike trails, cashing my first semi-substantial paycheck, etc.

A big reason I'm super duper excited to go home.  She'll have a  little brother, too.  Any day now!

The anticipation comes into play quite obviously when I remind myself how quick I will have to do a 180.  I'm currently writing this entry while sitting in the same clothes I wore yesterday, sipping tea and creating a little 'to do' list in my head (a 'list' that only consists of making hummus and hopping on the bike to the local tourist office to ask a question).  Maybe later I'll make myself some lunch, possibly hummus and veggie sandwich (I have all day to think of these things), knit while watching a documentary on Nepal, and do some laundry.  Sounds like heaven, yes, but I have occasional lapses into restlessness where I wish I could enjoy these things as a reward for being busy instead of having all day to enjoy things I might take for granted.

So maybe I'll flourish as a returnee to the familiar feeling of being busy.   I sure hope so.  I also hope I'm not glorifying life of a Minneapolisian, conjuring up an exciting yet unrealistic image of my life in the big city.  Will it be all I hoped for?  Hope hope hope.  I hope for a lot.

While I think about what's ahead, I'll also try to get the most out of my short two weeks left in Hokkaido.  We'll rent a car this weekend, eat lots of Japanese food, and simply enjoy one another as we prepare for another two months apart (again?  really?).  I've acquired so much enjoyment out of simply living in a foreign country that I could go without these last few hoorahs if needed, but they'll be a nice topper on a fantastic year abroad.

We'll also most likely revisit the local karaoke joint for one last all-you-can-drink fiasco

So where am I going with this post?  It's a bit stream-of-consciousy, just thoughts on a page, but it helps puts things into perspective.  A new job means a large learning curve.   I'll be back to paying rent and upping my loan payments.  I won't be able to travel like I have the past five years.  But, I'll have my family and friends and a life in a city and state that I revere so highly.  This last year was a great experiment; I had time to learn about myself, Japan, and I ate a lot of great food.  Now it's time to go home.