Things I want to experience/accomplish in Japan

- tea ceremony
- gain a passable knowledge of Japanese
- gain a deeper understanding of a culture that fascinates me
- go to a bamboo forest
- develop my own painting style
- learn something uniquely Japanese, like sumi-e or calligraphy

I was up at 2 am last night, and I decided to make a top-of-my-head list of personal reasons I want to go live in Japan. The proximity of our departure date just made a jump closer, when we decided it would be good to start the kids in their new school on time, and I admit that it's starting to feel real, at last. My fears and doubts nibbled at the edges of my brain, and I couldn't sleep. I think the language barrier making me feel helpless is at the root of my anxiety. That is something I can control, by studying harder, making the learning of the language a priority. The fact that I have some control over this restores my confidence that this crazy move is going to do profound and wonderful things for me and for us as a family.