Some days I just seem to be dead set on making thing as difficult for myself as possible. Somehow this morning I managed to leave home without my keys. I realized that they were missing when I got to the bike storage place in Hikone, and reached into my pocket, only to find absolutely nothing there. I was able to get around that problem by shelling out 1500 yen for a taxi ride to the Center (leaving the question of how'd I get back to the station in the afternoon still up in the air), and all I had to say was 'Mishigan Sentaa' for the driver to know where I wanted to go (if that had failed I would've resorted to 'Koko's' [the resturant next door]). It was real nice getting to sit and enjoy the air conditioning instead of having to work, but it wasn't quite $15 worth of nice.

After classes I was really not looking forward to having to shell out another 1500 yen, but I liked the idea of having to walk my fat ass back to Hikone Eki with my ten ton backpack of doom (I carry a lot with me, since I no longer have the option of running up to my room to grab whatever I need like a dictionary, notebook, spare cat). However, this time the day was saved when Chisato (my conversation partner) dropped by the Center to see how we were all doing (she was one of the English students who finished their term last week). When she caught wind of my pratfall filled morning, she gallantly offered to give me a lift to the station. I was grateful for that, even more so that we also grabbed a quick cup of coffee before hand so that we could do the whole 'conversation partner' thing one last time (the partners had been paired up shortly before I started my home stay, so we'd had precious few opportunities to actually talk). She's going to be spending a year in Australia, but insisted that I drop in to see here the next time we're both back in Japan (eventually I may get over being surprised by people expressing the desire to see me again).

And you know what? Next year come back I will. I've decided to stop saying, 'plan to.' Plan to? Bollocks, I _am_ coming back. One of the reasons I had previously refrained from being so definite was the fact that getting excepted by JET is not a done deal, but as of now, I'm saying 'so what?' Although JET is the program I find most appealing, there are several other very good ones I can also submit applications too, and if I don't get accepted by one, I'm sure one of the others will.

Cool. I feel like I've got a really good grip on the rudder for the first time in like, well, ever.

Tres cool.