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last days:  had a dismal saturday of raging, shitty moods brought on by a callous (not on my end) removal of too many books (tempered by my rationalising that they’re only paperbacks; i’ll be replacing them soon) and the goddamn southern california sun that feels like fire burning through my skin and, well, yes, the nostalgic melancholy that comes attached with the prospect of leaving the familiar.  today was better, though, the actual last day because i leave in roughly 13 hours, and things happened naturally without much exertion — had a lovely breakfast with a lovely person, went to church, found the bag i wanted (it was the last one in stock, and it was on sale!), had a relatively painless time finding a pair of shoes, booked a few last-minute hostels, went to dinner, laughed a lot (shook my head even more), and now i’m home with small piles of things on my floor ready to be packed and wondering where my other bottle of magic green pills (also known as advil) has gone.

this last week has gone by too fast.  (my dad asked yesterday when surveying my still unorganised room, what did you do all week?, and i paused for a second, thought, said, hung out with people.)

things to do tonight:  finish booking a few hostels (at the moment, very tempted to sleep in a car on the beach in nago); pack (oh dear); print out reservation e-mails; make an itinerary to give to the parents; burn mixtapes; finish making the travel journal; try to get some sleep in my own bed.

it’s been a good last two weeks.  the first week was filled with extended family and the second with people i like.  now i’m off to see more people i like, some for the first time in-person, and off to see a country that’s long fascinated me, an island that’s topped my wanderlusts list for a very, very long time, and the country from which my family came for the first time in twelve years.  and to see the band i love most live.  (this post reads more like a journal entry than i’m usually wont to write here.)

i’ll see y’all when i arrive in tokyo.  (: