i'm leaving for japan in something in the vicinity of 30 hours, which is not something that is really that strange for me.  what IS strange is that i won't be coming back.  i love my friends, but i have to be constantly reminding myself what this means for our friendship- i'm leaving, and for many of them, we will never know eachother as well as we do now.  as time passes, and i visit now and again when i get deported, i will change, people will change, and we will lose that connection that made us such good friends for a short while.  i know it's the way of life, and i had to learn this as a young'un, barely knee-high to a row of potatoes, but it's sad to me to be the one that will teach all my younger friends about this fact of life through my relationship, or lack thereof, with them. 
   not that i don't want to hang with everyone, but if there were ever a limit on how many friends a person could have, i'm definitely pushing the limit.  or "jumping the shark" as dusty taught me.  you crazy americans and your "culture".    i made a "to do" list so i wouldn't forget important things, and i had to also make a "to see" list, so i wouldn't forget to say goodbye or hang out with important people before i go.  funny to have "get motorcycle license" up there with "andrew".  makes it seems like friends are chores.  not the case, but i know i will offend you people if you think i forgot about you.  which is clearly not the case, as i'm sitting here typing something for you to read instead of packing.
   oh yeah....packing......