Prologue

I couldn’t believe my luck. And it was happening today, no less. I was finally headed to Japan! I’ve prepared for this for weeks. Maybe even months… But I’m getting ahead of myself. I tend to do that when I’m excited.

See, I’m in college. A college in Nebraska that has some weird long name that no one but about four professors can remember. Well, my mom and dad weren’t all that thrilled that their baby girl was headed to Nebraska never to be seen again! So not the case, they’re worrywarts. Well, my dad is. I think he thinks I’ll do something stupid, like get a tattoo. Hello, if I wanted a picture of a big black dragon on my body, I might as well go with the tight leather clothes, right? And since that definitely isn’t going to happen, neither is the dragon.

But this was the best college I could find that actually had a course in Japanese. And headed by a great guy, too. His name is Hideaki Fujita, and he is a brilliant teacher. We are as close as a teacher-student relationship can be without getting… creepy. Well, there was no way I’d pass a course like that just so I could stay in sweet home Missouri. Well, I’m seventeen (and loving’ it) and I have to broaden my horizon.

Believe it or not, I still don’t know what career track I’ll be riding for the rest of my life. I figure that learning a second language will open doors, and maybe find me a job. Of course if that doesn’t work out, I could always settle down with a nice guy, have lord knows how many kids, and be a house mom… or not.

Anyway, my course is going very well, and Fujita-Kun is excellent. Apparently, I’m top of my class, thank you very much. I’m picking up on the language really fast, and my grades are nothing short of well, brilliant.

Fujita-Kun pulled a few strings, made a few calls, and he’s going to let me skip about two months so that I can live with his sister’s family in Japan! So exciting, but I’m really nervous… What if I’m too American to go? What if someone calls me by my last name and I don’t think to respond?

So the adventure begins… Oy.