Oh my god, I know. I've totally missed you too.

...It's a long story, mostly stupid, about the jerks at Bloghosts and my own technical ineptitude. Believe me, I didn't think I would be gone for this long.

...No, I'm serious, I really did miss you. I couldn't wait to come back and tell you I am moving to an as-yet-undisclosed location in Japan for a year, beginning at the end of July. Remember how I told you about that before I left? I'm way excited. I only have two more weeks at my job. And before I leave for Japan, I'm going to India for three weeks to hang out with my family. It will be the longest vacation I've had since 1999!

It's not all green tea ice cream and Pocky, though. There's someone I'm leaving who I really don't want to leave. Like, really. Like, sometimes in the middle of the afternoon I'm tempted to forgo the land of bullet trains and unagi for the chance to spend every day next to him, holding his hand, waking up and touching his sleep-crazy hair.

But we all know I have to do this. Don't we?

Psst...I may be back, but I'm still unpacking. Not everything is going to be up and running for another week or so.

I was in a bad mood yesterday because I was picked to be a jury member on a case that could potentially last for ten days, until next Friday. My company only pays for five days of jury duty and next Friday was supposed to be my last day of work, so not only will I possibly lose a week's pay, I might also have to go back into work on a weekend to finish everything I need to do before I leave. AND I might not even get a going-away cake! Add to this the stress of finding out I need to have a visa to enter India (oops) and realizing the consulate may not be able to return it in time for my trip, plus the fact that everyone in JET has found out their placements except me, and you get one Unhappy Jeans Parlor.

Luckily, downtown LA always makes me happy. I had fantastic ramen at Daikokuya earlier this week and afterwards bought a choco-treat called Boda, mostly because of the packaging, which features two ukelele-playing peanuts. (It was good, kind of like Kit Kat with a smidge of peanut butter.) Today I walked over to the courtyard between the Music Center and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to eat my sandwich and came across the Very Special Arts Festival, a huge event with kids from all over LA. Let me tell you: it is impossible to remain sad and/or stressed while kids with Downs Syndrome tap-dance across the stage and dwarves shimmy to live African drumming and tiny children in wheelchairs pretend to lift 500-lb cardboard weights in a circus show. Take my word for it.

I finally found out where I will be placed in Japan: Gifu Prefecture! (Go ahead, find out more....)

I won't know what city I'll be living in until my predecessor contacts me with all the details, so I am once again waiting for more clues about what the next year will be like. Will I live in the snowy mountains amongst the Gassho-style thatched-roof houses? Or in steamy Gifu City, watching the ukai (cormorant fishing) in the summer? Will I need a car? (I hope not.) Will I teach junior high or high school? (Either is fine.) Will I have to cover my tattoos at the onsen (hot springs) so I don't get kicked out for offending the old people? (I think probably. I've heard Gifu is pretty conservative.)

I have so many questions!