A little early to be thinking about re-entry shock, but...

For the last few days I've been getting serious about changing my return flight to mid-January. Classes at Rits end on January 19, with an exam period until February 3. As much as I'd love to stay here, and travel around Japan in that time (since I won't actually have any exams during those weeks), classes at IC start up on January 13. So if I were to stay here until February 5, as currently scheduled, I'd miss over 3 weeks of classes back home, and I'd rather avoid playing catch-up all semester.

All of these thoughts of returning home has plagued me with some confusing emotions. I'm torn between my desire to stay here another term, and my desire to be reunited with the people I care about. As I tried to pick a suitable return date with a friend, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of remorse for the experiences I'll miss by returning early...which then triggered some guilt that I wasn't elated at the idea of coming home. It's not that I don't want to go home--it's just that going home means that this marvelous experience is over.

I can't quite pinpoint it, but I feel like these last 2 months have really changed me. How could it not? I've left behind the people and places dearest to me to start a new (albeit temporary) life in Japan. Life here--surrounded by beautiful mountains and famous temples and wonderful people from all over the world, with little contact with my loved ones back home--has become my new normal.

So when the time comes, how do I readjust? How do I take what I've learned (and what I will learn) and apply it to life at home?

Only time will tell, I suppose. Right now, my only task is to just enjoy the ride.