The Journey begins this Weekend!

The countdown is imminent and the matter of months, matter of days, has become a matter of hours. Exactly one week from this very moment, a plane will take off from Chicago, destined for the roundabout location of Toronto.

"But Adam, why are you flying to Canada!? I thought you were going to Japan!"

As it turns out, Air Canada sends passengers to Japan for about half the price of American airlines. This is makes our endeavour two trips in one! With an evening in Toronto and an 11 hour layover in Calgary, it turns out we're pre-gaming our semester at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University with a small tour of Canada. For better or worse, this is the leg of the trip that I have prepared the least for.

What is there to do in Calgary for 11 hours?

In real likelihood, Becky and I will be spending this time with our noses buried in Genki Textbooks, cramming all those grammar points and Kanji lists that have been steadily forgotten over the past month of full-time employment, logistical and transportation-related challenges, and a more general feeling of relief and relaxation after one of the more physically and mentally taxing semesters at GVSU. With my last trumpet jury ever a distant memory, my final appearance at the National Trumpet Competition as a finalist (but definitely not as a composer) , and a substantial unloading of new compositions in the precedent-setting, Sight\Sound event, I'm ready to shift focus for the next few months towards another passion of mine, hardly pertinent to the completion of my music degree but nonetheless equally important, the slow and steady acclimation [and eventual mastery] of the Japanese language.

After finishing Genki, Vol. I this past school year, I will be [barring unforseen placement-test-bombs] stepping into Ritsumeikan's intensive language course, level 2, where we will be knocking out 300+ page Genki, Vol. II.

In eight weeks.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel nervous and maybe a little understudied and under-prepared. Having never left North America [or even venturing a single step west of Chicago], I honestly don't know what to expect. Sure, the itinerary is clear, and the schedule seems concise enough, but I don't really know what to expect. But I have an intuition that seems to hint that this summer will be one of the best times of my life so far.

Legendary composer Motoi Sakuraba is [completely not suprisingly] too busy to give me a personal composition lesson. Hey, it was worth a try. I suppose I wouldn't expect John Williams to pencil me in on a weekend, either. One of my biggest goals of this summer, aside from the studies, is to scope the country out for career opportunities. If I can't meet directly with a famous Japanese composer, I at least want to learn about the entertainment industry over there, absorb all the Japanese traditional music, and the theory behind it.

With a lot still to pack, and another week to study up on Japanese school life, I've got just enough time to double-check all the necessities. Now to procure some omiyage...