I'm finally feeling better about the Japan thing. I knew I would start the climb back up the culture shock curve at some point, I just wasn't sure when.

I think what did it was getting the chance to talk to talk to several other JETs at the practice day for Mid-Year Seminar. Almost every single Shizuoka JET who is in their second year or longer was together on Tuesday. I took some pictures because we are so rarely together, and I haven't seen some of those people since last years' MYS. I got to talk to so many people about what I was thinking about Japan and being an ALT and recontracting and my school...it was great to get to run some things through out loud and to hear from other people how they were doing.

That played a big part. And talking to someone who was real and not having to fake something for appearances, or worry about how I was going to come across.

And a big part of it was a simple reminder from my friend Will that my faith is strong enough for me to stand on. I was on my knees yesterday morning before rushing off to school giving it all up and asking God to cover all of my needs.

I was actually relaxed at work for the day. I read articles about Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz. Today I read a bunch of my Politics of U.S. Foreign Policy textbook. Gotta be well read for that FSOT. (And I finished Airframe by Michael Crichton tonight...not quite sure how that helped...)

So yes, I'm feeling much better. I feel ready again to take on the world. I got 7 1/2 weeks now until I'm on a plane back home and before then I got a long weekend in Tokyo, 2 days in Kakegawa, a longer weekend in Tokyo, a long weekend in Hiroshima, and 5 days in Nagasaki. The rest of the time is just filler.

It will be interesting to go back on all these blogs and plot the culture shock curve. Or the "missing home" curve. Or the "Luther's feeling sorry for himself" curve. Or the "lonely" curve. The loneliness hasn't left necessarily, I'm just ok with it. It's not like I've isolated myself - sometimes it's possible to be alone even when you're surrounded by lots of people.

Well, hopefully I can come up with some good stories for you. I should at least write down a list of story starters - some "1-liner ignition." I have a million things to tell you, and most of them will come up in moments ignited by asides; not finding any towels in a public bathroom, passing by a tree in bloom, the smell of fish in the air, students in uniform or the sound of a crossing signal. Anything could start them off. I want to hold on to moments though and call them back to you at anytime. Not that you want to know, but I know, I don't want to forget.

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