I have been busy lately enjoying the spring weather in Japan and playing as much as possible before I have to return to the life of an accounting student. However, there are details to be worked out for my fall semester in Illinois. One problem is when to go home. I found out that I can stop in Hawaii for only $75 extra, so I thought I might spend a week there. Then I got a letter from my best friend, Liza.
Liza is a senior at Kansas University in Lawrence, but she is originally from Bloomington, Illinois. We started out as pen pals in the sixth grade and have been close friends ever since. Actually, though, since we entered college, we have not been so close (especially now that I am in Japan), but we have always kept in touch through snail mail and the internet.
Anyway, I hadn't heard from Liza in a while, but I assumed that she was studying hard and planning on going to grad school in the fall. Her boyfriend, Seth, was also planning to go to the same grad school, so everything seemed cool in her life. Then I found out that they were going to get married.
It really surprised me. I have had a couple cousins and high school friends get married, but never someone this close. I started to think about what it really means. Seventy years. Liza is only 21 and a rather healthy person, so if all goes well, she will spend the next 70-80 years with this guy. Now Seth is a cool guy, but I admire Liza for being able to make such a brave decision. Personally, the marriage thing still scares me.
To add to the surprise, she asked me to be her bridesmaid, or rather, her "person of honor." Of course, I was very happy. This means that I get to get all cleaned up and put on a dress for a night on the town. I might even sing a song or perform some crazy dance at the reception. Needless to say, I am excited.
So it seems that I am going to skip Hawaii this time around in favor of Liza's big event. At least I will cut down my Hawaii vacation to a few days. I really don't have much desire to go to Hawaii, but I think it would be a good buffer for the culture shock awaiting me in the States. I could eat Japanese food half of the time, and speak Japanese half of the time. Plus, the time change is about half-way between here and Illinois. The perfect transition.
Anyway, I am headed off to the hills today for a little camping trip with the hiking club. The place we are going is actually located in Tokyo "County." It is not exactly big mountains, but you might be surprised at how many "natural" places there are very close to Tokyo. We plan to camp out tonight and climb "Stick's Bend Mountain" (some things just don't translate well) tomorrow. Hope everyone is enjoying spring as much as I am.