Hello!

This is my first post for my study abroad trip. It's an 9:30am on a Sunday morning, August 23, 2009. I have exactly 4 months until I leave for Kansai Gaidai.

The Study Abroad Office scholarship is due on Wednesday, and it's pretty much guaranteed for all Spring semester study abroad students if you just apply! That's good news. Any monetary help is fantastic. We don't know for sure how much this trip will cost, but our OSU study abroad orientation is this coming Saturday and all of our questions should be answered by then.

Megan and Blaine are also going to Kansai Gaidai with me. Megan is in my JAPN 2113 class and we've been friends ever since we met in JAPN 1115. Her boyfriend, Blaine, is now taking that beginner class. We plan on all living together in Seminar House III, the largest and most expensive of the dormitories. Jesse and Sam are going to Shinshu University for the whole year, and I think they leave in a month. We're all getting together this Thursday to have a meal and talk about our future travel in Japan. Everyone's gathering in my room for rice, miso, and conversation! It should be wonderful.