I did it

I dropped the news. I asked for a graduate school recommendation letter from my supervisor/head of office. Obviously this means to them that I am not going to re-contract even though I haven’t signed the papers. I feel relief that I got it over with, but in some ways I feel quite sad. I thought they would possibly freak out that it needs to be in English, but they handled the news and request very well, even seemed happy to be doing it. I wonder how the letter will turn out since it is their first hand at writing a recommendation letter. I said it was appropriate for them to write it together since they are both my supervisors. They will write it in Japanese and then have Mr. Yokouchi translate. It might not be the exact format of a typical American reference, and the English will most likely not be perfect. I have done my best here among the ambiguity and bureaucracy, and they are pleased with my performance. So regardless of how the letter turns out, I know it will be genuine and sincere. I’m not worried at all.

Today I am mailing transcript requests and will call ETS and request that my GRE scores be sent to IU and U. of Washington. The process is going well and has so far been stressless. Now if only I can find my muse for writing the statement of purpose and hear back from the Hanover professor who I asked about writing a reference then all will be extremely well.

Wow, crazy that a year from now I will be finishing up my first semester of graduate school. I will either be...

...here among the maple trees.

...here (in spring), admiring the cherry blossoms and thinking of life in Japan.

...or here, oceanside, sipping on coffee outside the library and thanking God for a glimpse of blue sky.