T-18 Days

The date draws nearer and in about 18 days I will head to the airport with all of my luggage (i.e. one large suitcase, a carry-on and a purse/computer). Except that I don't have a large suitcase. And I'm not sure what I'm going to pack yet. And I don't have a purse large enough to carry my computer. Or a computer case. Or an adaptor. And do I even need a converter!?

Clearly, I still have to figure some things out.

All in good time I suppose. The suitcase issue must be dealt with before the end of this week, though. I can't take another nightmare about packing my things blindly and then turning around and realizing they're all just sitting on the floor because I have no suitcase. So that's the first thing on my list. Second: At some point I should start drafting a temporary list of things that I plan on taking with me. What can I get in Tokyo? (With all of this rampant globalization, the better question might be what can't I get?) What should I take with me and what might I have to learn to live without? Third on my list: I need to get a purse and a computer case. The latter of the two can be solved easily so I'll probably take care of that this weekend, too. The former, however, is proving to be more difficult. I want a purse, a bag really, large enough to carry my textbooks and computer in when classes begin. I'm not a backpack person, so this is really important. I need a bag that combines both form and function in an aesthetically pleasing way. Oh yeah, and one that doesn't split my wallet wide open.

Speaking of money (I know, an uncomfortable subject), let's talk about the USD. Bush is adamant that we're not in a recession, but I beg to differ. I have a few friends abroad in Europe and they started feeling the pinch in the last months of 2007. Admittedly, the situation is worse for them but this past summer the dollar to yen ratio was 1 to 118 or somewhere abouts. When I last checked it was 1 to 1. Ouch. At least I'm not going to London.

We'll have to wait to see how this affects my experience in Tokyo. But for now it's back to working, studying and searching for that elusive bag. Wish me luck.