Preparing for Japan

I've been so busy over the past month that I've hardly had time to think about the fact that I'm going to be out of the country for the next three weeks, two of which weeks I'll be spending completely on my own. As it's sunk in, it's becoming sort of a scary thought, so I'm busily adding things to my schedule such as having English tour guides in some cities, and meeting up with friends of friends in others.

I went shopping for my trip tonight... hit up Sports Basement, REI, and Target in a matter of a few hours. About 1/2 hour before Target closed, I stood in the middle of the hygiene section looking at everything, wondering if I was going to need it part way through my trip. Not that I'm going to be in the middle of nowhere - I've ensured that amentities will be readily available - but it seems daunting to have to hunt down something at a drugstore when you're not really even sure what you're looking for. So better to buy it all now, right?

Tried out the backpack tonight too -- I think I finally got the strap configuration done correctly. I started picking out my lightweight clothing, putting it in my luggage so it'll keep clean over the next few days. All of these little things to prepare...