Can't Stop Me Now.

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Final exams are quickly approaching and soon this semester will come to a close. Nearly all of my new friends are staying at Kansai

Gaidai for only one semester so in less than one month they will be returning to their home countries. While I will not be coming

home this Christmas I will be doing a good deal of traveling. Two days ago I booked my airline ticket for a little trip I like to

call 30 days in South East Asia. My mother sent me this e-mail a while ago explaining to me how much my younger sister Clara would miss me this December and It went like this, “Clara can't wait until Christmas to see April. Clara said Christmas last year wasn't fun because April wasn't there. I asked her about missing you this year and she said it wouldn't be too bad without you.” While it may be true that Clara said these nasty things about me I know misses me dearly and she says these nasty things to
hide her pain.

The first leg of my trip will be taking the train North into Nagano so that I can spend a few days with April before she takes a flight back to Tennessee. On the same day I will be on a plane heading towards Bangkok, Thailand. After spending a few days there with friends and also obtaining visas I will make my way into Northern Thailand. Afterwards I will board a boat and be into Laos for the next stage of the journey. From there I will move into Vietnam and then into Cambodia and lastly back into Bangkok.

Once I return home I will spend the rest of my time visiting old friends in Japan.


While I will be making this trip alone I will not be entirely alone. I have friends in Thailand and Vietnam. In Cambodia and Laos I plan to meet up with a classmate of mine that is taking roughly this same travel pattern. I have spent hours on hours reading, researching, planning, and preparing. I know that I can never be prepared for everything that may happen on this trip, but that can’t hold me back. I’ll keep you posted with pictures and stories as they happen. Tomorrow Japan is celebrating Labor Thanksgiving Day, A national holiday for honoring labor. This shouldn’t be confused with Cultural Day, Health and Sports Day, Kansai Gaidai’s Birthday, Autumn Equinox Day, Respect for the Aged Day, Obon, or Ocean Day. I’m not kidding - Japan has had all of these national holidays since I have been here, excluding our school’s birthday for that was merely a bonus. And you thought I went to class.

Take care, send me mails and catch me up on some gossip.

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Photos

Festival in Hiroshima
Festival days are always a nice time

Outdoor Adventures Club
So I finally found a club that I am interested in. This club goes rafting, hiking, trecking, and other out door activities. At the end of next semester I am taking a 3 day camping trip to the top of Mt. Fuji with them. This picture is us having some sushi by the river in Nara

Balcony View
This is what I see every day.

Some more festival for you
I can't remember if I have uploaded this one or not, but regardless this is a nice one.

Comments

[anonymous]

AWwww
I'm sure your sister will miss you, as will everyone. Your travels sound amazing. Don't worry about all of your friends leaving after one semester; the same is happening to me. We'll make new ones. love^

[anonymous]

Good Luck!
Hey there. I've been reading your blog for quite awhile in anticipation of attending Kansai Gaidai in the Spring. So, if I've read correctly, you'll be there in the Spring as well? Perhaps we'll meet each other. Good luck with your travels, and thanks for updating your blog with information that helped me through a somewhat arduous and tedious application process. If you want to e-mail me, I'm available at [e-mail]

[anonymous]

We will miss you!
Hey Spencer, this is your cousin, Rachel. I just wanted to let you know that just because Clara won't miss you, the rest of the family will. lol. I'm sure she misses you. But it really won't be the same without all the cousins. I'm glad April is comming in. See you soon! Happy Thanksgiving, Rachel Huddleston