First Post

Welcome to my blog everyone~ I am still in the process of making it beautiful and everything, but that will come later.  For now though, I thought I would give a bit of an introduction to my trip since I leave in...31 HOURS!! I cannot tell you how excited I am!!! For those of you who may be out of the loop, I am a Japanese major at University of Oregon. So, this year (my third year in college) I am studying abroad for 11 months at Waseda University in Tokyo Japan, hoping to get better at Japanese overall. This blog will provide me with a place to put down all my stories and pictures- and provide you all with a place to see what I'm up to (if you're interested).

So Yeah

Just to explain the title "mikera monogatari" for non 日本語 speakers... Mikera is how you say my name in Japanese, (spelled  ミーケラ　for those really interested). And Monogatari is basically a word that means "the tale of" so "The Tale of Mikaela" haha. It's used in fictional stories (for example, yubiwa monogatari is "the tale of the ring" aka lord of the rings) but I thought it would be a good blog title :D

What Else?

I was nominated for and have received a Japanese governmental scholarship for this trip! Oh and I will be staying with a host family for the year. First though, I am staying with my good friend Dorothy in her apartment. We are flying into Tokyo on the 9th, and will have some adventures I'm sure until orientation which is the 15th. After that it will be host famiry time.

Me, left. Dorothy, right. In a"purikura"
photobooth being awesome of course (Seattle, WA)

So Goodbye Oregon

Photo I took from top of Skinner's Butte in Eugene, Oregon.

And hello Japan!

Image from:   http://www.flatrock.org.nz/topics/environment/so_no_place_to_live_is_really_ok.htm

STAY TUNED <3