Whew! My entire application made it to Washington, DC (the Japanese Consulate) on time! It was a bit hectic there for a second. My transcript from University of Sussex never came in, but luckily my undergrad transcript showed that I had indeed studied there, so I'm pretty sure I'm covered. The one nail-biting detail is that I neglected to fill in one tiny little line on one of the forms... but hopefully they don't disqualify me for that! I was so nervous about making the November 24 deadline that I rushed to send it via Express mail on Thursday, which of course led to this oversight. Eeek!

Now I am eagerly awaiting a response from JET. Keep your fingers crossed!

Whew, I finally have all my transcripts on their way from University of Sussex, UCSB, and USF. Why is this such a process? Hopefully they arrive on time. Right now I'm working on my statement of purpose. I'm getting more and more excited each day!

Official departure date (IF I get in... don't wanna get my hopes up so early!) will be July 31, 2010. This is bittersweet, cuz it means that I got to leave for Japan, but it also means I won't be able to be a camp director for Camp Galileo. Right now I'm in the middle of the interview process for that. It's an organization very near and dear to my heart, and one that I would like to continue to be a part of in the coming years... but I most likely won't be able to do it since it conflicts with my Japan departure! Eeek!

We'll see what happens next...

I've hit a few bumps in the road. The mailed documents are due on November 24, but I have a 2-week waiting period to get my transcripts from UCSB and USF. I'm also waiting for my proof of study abroad from Sussex University. Argh! The waiting is very aggravating because there is not much I can do to speed up the process. This is the first hiccup on the road to JET. Let's keep our fingers crossed that everything else goes smoothly (and I make the deadline!).

Last night I submitted the online portion of my JET application. It seemed like a huge accomplishment, until I went over my checklist and realized there are about a bajillion more things I need to get together before the November 24 deadline. Statement of purpose, transcripts, proof of previously studying abroad, passport copies... sheesh. But as the Japanese say... wait... I don't really know much about what the Japanese say! Check back with me in a year. :-)