New Roads, New Beginnings, New Blog...

So OK, this was supposed to get posted yesterday, but if I don't cut myself some slack right off the bat, you probably won't see many of these in the future... -.-

Anyways... Three weeks and a day from now I'll be on a plane halfway to Japan. I thought that being away in a foreign country for at least a year would be an awesome insentive incentive (good thing that I'm going to Japan to teach English... >.<) to begin writing a blog, mainly to be a sort of keepsake, and since I hate writing by hand even more than typing, a blog seems the only way to go. However, I won't be writing just about my experiences in Japan. I also plan to write about books I've read, movies I've seen, thing's I've been knitting, etc, etc, and generally about things that are on my mind.

So as the title suggests, lately I've been thinking about new beginnings, and I acted on this urge by finally creating a new email address for myself, and leaving the old ones behind once and for all. (Though forwarding still works... for now.) I also got new AIM SN, and have been thinking about getting a whole new cell number as well. Allow me to explain where this urge is coming from:
I just turned 25 a couple weeks ago, and since then I've been thinking about just how different my life currently is compared to just 5 years ago. In the last 5 years I've met the person of my dreams, actually learned how to cook and bake (well), met all my current friends, learned to knit and crochet (again), got glasses, got engaged, renewed my relationship with my extended family, got new non-Goth clothes, got married (in New York) with which I also got a whole new wonderful family and a new family name, got married again (this time in Hungary), graduated from college, and have been living very happily overall. ^_^
Now that's quite some change and I felt like it was just natural to get a new email address and maybe even a new cell number when time comes. (For the record, my old screen name originated from the time when I was still in 3rd or 4th grade and have used it since everywhere computer related... Yeah... It was time for a change...)

The only thing that has been lacking somewhat these past 5 years was a purpose... Specifically, what will I do when I grow up? I've always loved languages and different cultures, and have been trying to find a job/career/purpose, where I could incorporate this basic interest. And this is where the JET Program (The Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme) comes in:
I was hired to teach English for a year in Japanese public schools, and to help out in exchanging information about cultures (specifically my culture vs. Japanese culture). Can an opportunity be any more perfect? I'm super excited and determined to try and learn as much about Japan, its culture and language, as I possibly can, with these goals in mind (for the upcoming year only):

#1 - I will take the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) in December, and pass the N4 level (old level 3). (FYI: There are 5 levels, N5 being basic Japanese, N4 conversational Japanese, N3 average Japanese, N2 native Japanese and good enough for attending college in Japan, and N1 being highly proficient in Japanese, including technical terms and such.)

#2 - I will take the JLPT N3 in July, and pass it.

#3 - I will learn as much as I can about Japanese mannerism, culture, and tradition, so that if I can't stay for more than a year and have to come back to New York, I can use that knowledge to get a job as a translator/interpreter and/or get into event planning.

So here's to new journeys, roads, beginnings, and a blog! ^_^