Wednesday, March 31, 2004
Finally Back
Well, I'm finally back in Sendai. It's been quite a long trip. Except for a few brief days in the middle, I've been traveling for a month now. By the end of the first trip I was already worn out and thinking I'd like to be back, but I'm glad I decided to go on the second trip. It was good to spend some time with Lars, Christian, and Francisco, since I haven't actually spent all that much time with them. Unfortunately Lars went back to Germany already (his flight left this morning, I think), so I won't be seeing him any time soon.
There are two things that I've got very little of at the moment: rest and money. First, the money part. I haven't been keeping very good track, but I think these trips have cost me about $2,500, which is most of what I'd had left from my internship this summer. I've been thinking about it, and I think that in the future if I'm given the choice of spending that on traveling for a month or buying stuff (computer, games, anime, music, etc.) I think I'd turn down the traveling. I'm glad I traveled this time, but I don't think I want to do it on this scale more than once. Thankfully I'm getting a monthly stipend from the school which is just barely enough for me to live off, so I'm not going to have monetary problems, unless I do something stupid and buy more manga, anime, CDs, games, etc. That seems to be my weak point. Also, on my trip I've gotten used to buying soda from the vending machines on the street and buying all my meals and getting things from the konbinis (an Englification of a Japanese word that for convenience stores), which may end up being a hard habit to break. I can't afford those costs now that I'm trying to live entirely off the stipend again.
Now, about the rest part. I can't really think of a good word to use, so rest will have to do. Traveling was fun, but was very tiring mentally. I saw so much and read so much that I haven't really had any time to process it all. Sleeping in a different bed in a different room every few nights, and going to bed late and getting up early, and then taking the night busses, all added up to me not getting as much sleep as I should get. Chances are that I'd have gotten the same amount of sleep had I stayed home, due to me just staying up late reading or talking or playing games, but at least I would have had the chance to get enough sleep at home. Also, on the second trip we took 2 night busses, since that way we didn't have to pay for a place to stay the night AND we didn't waste time traveling, so to speak. Unfortunately, I found it impossible to sleep on the busses. Most people on the busses seemed to sleep, but I just couldn't. I think one of the problems is that I have a very hard time sleeping on my back. I like to sleep on my side. But even had I gotten enough sleep, I think it still would have been exhausting. On the trips, I didn't really have any time to myself. I'm not used to constantly being with people, and it really wore me down. From the time I woke up, until the time I went to sleep, there was always someone around to talk with or whatever. I need time to just be alone, and perhaps sit and think, and read my Bible and pray. I never really realized how important that is to me.
Anyway, I'm glad to be back. Hopefully I'll get rested up before the new semester starts next week. I'll try to write and post some (long delayed) journal entries tomorrow. I've also got maybe 2,000 pictures from the trips (that includes the pictures the other people took) to look at, sort through, label, etc. so it may be a while before any of those get posted. Sorry. If there's a particular place you'd like me to post pictures of let me know so that I can work on those pictures first.
There are two things that I've got very little of at the moment: rest and money. First, the money part. I haven't been keeping very good track, but I think these trips have cost me about $2,500, which is most of what I'd had left from my internship this summer. I've been thinking about it, and I think that in the future if I'm given the choice of spending that on traveling for a month or buying stuff (computer, games, anime, music, etc.) I think I'd turn down the traveling. I'm glad I traveled this time, but I don't think I want to do it on this scale more than once. Thankfully I'm getting a monthly stipend from the school which is just barely enough for me to live off, so I'm not going to have monetary problems, unless I do something stupid and buy more manga, anime, CDs, games, etc. That seems to be my weak point. Also, on my trip I've gotten used to buying soda from the vending machines on the street and buying all my meals and getting things from the konbinis (an Englification of a Japanese word that for convenience stores), which may end up being a hard habit to break. I can't afford those costs now that I'm trying to live entirely off the stipend again.
Now, about the rest part. I can't really think of a good word to use, so rest will have to do. Traveling was fun, but was very tiring mentally. I saw so much and read so much that I haven't really had any time to process it all. Sleeping in a different bed in a different room every few nights, and going to bed late and getting up early, and then taking the night busses, all added up to me not getting as much sleep as I should get. Chances are that I'd have gotten the same amount of sleep had I stayed home, due to me just staying up late reading or talking or playing games, but at least I would have had the chance to get enough sleep at home. Also, on the second trip we took 2 night busses, since that way we didn't have to pay for a place to stay the night AND we didn't waste time traveling, so to speak. Unfortunately, I found it impossible to sleep on the busses. Most people on the busses seemed to sleep, but I just couldn't. I think one of the problems is that I have a very hard time sleeping on my back. I like to sleep on my side. But even had I gotten enough sleep, I think it still would have been exhausting. On the trips, I didn't really have any time to myself. I'm not used to constantly being with people, and it really wore me down. From the time I woke up, until the time I went to sleep, there was always someone around to talk with or whatever. I need time to just be alone, and perhaps sit and think, and read my Bible and pray. I never really realized how important that is to me.
Anyway, I'm glad to be back. Hopefully I'll get rested up before the new semester starts next week. I'll try to write and post some (long delayed) journal entries tomorrow. I've also got maybe 2,000 pictures from the trips (that includes the pictures the other people took) to look at, sort through, label, etc. so it may be a while before any of those get posted. Sorry. If there's a particular place you'd like me to post pictures of let me know so that I can work on those pictures first.
