It is the last week of internship, and I'm not even sure what I am supposed to feel. It's a mixed bag as always, but I know I am getting (or will get) a sense of closure. I am saying goodbye to all the food, places, people, and fun.

I can feel the days slipping away into the heat, and I'm not really keeping track anymore. This internship experience is not meant to be calculated one day at a time. Rather, it is like a breath, something absorbed yet simultaneously escapes from you for the time being. But Tokyo's atmosphere has definitely sunken into my skin, and like a good soak in the onsen, it has definitely been good for me. It's hard to write this knowing that I'll begin to pack my bags in my little cubby hole of a guest house within the next week or so.

After a long 3-day weekend thanks to Umi no Hi (海の日), it is back to work. At length, this experience has been enlightening for a number of reasons. Japanese corporate life is all about social intricacy, and you find yourself lost in this dense network of mores and subtleties that you have to learn through experience. I have been trying to keep up, but in a culture of unspoken rules, it is often just easier to make a mistake and learn from it.

The beauty of the city is that there is a niche for everyone. Tokyo is a nexus of culture and tradition, and like all urban environments, there is a convergence of everything and anything. Be a little nosy goes a long way, and the detective work ultimately leads you to something unexpected and unbelievable. All it takes is a little courage.

I'm one of those people that adjusts slowly. And it takes about this long for me to get into the swing of things, where I can autopilot the daily routine and let the whole experience wash over me. Tokyo has much to be explored still, but I know chance will bring me where I need to go. There's something about being on your own that is liberating enough to let fortune take the reins for once. I'm normally terrified of being thrown into the world on my own.

My job continues to surprise me from day to day. Though I haven't been given any particularly monumental tasks, I have been doing research for the company regarding university programs as well as opportunities for growth for the company. Ryugaku plans to revamp its English website, and I was able to offer my suggestions comparing the current site with those of other competitors. Both myself and my fellow co-worker/intern were also interviewed for Ryugaku's blog, which was a flattering personal opportunity to reflect on this experience at large.

The experience still feels so surreal. In the course of about a week, I have experienced so much of Japanese culture firsthand, and I am at a loss of how best to process all of it. I think I need some time still for it to sink in. My 5 day stay at the Olympic Center in Yoyogi has come to an end. Long hours of Japanese crash courses have been the springboard into my first few days of work. We said our goodbyes to our senseis, and we were officially off on our own, keigo-ready or not.

It's quite sad to be writing this blog on the last day of my stay at the Narita View Hotel. I've come to be somewhat attached to these accommodations from the room to our little classroom.

I'm at once mentally exhausted and excited at the same time. All the sleepless nights of studying and paper writing have finally come to an end: I am finally done with over 31 pages of writing and 2 written finals. I have spent more than enough quality time with textbooks. I'm not really sure how I'm still functioning, but my flight on Saturday is more than enough to keep me energized. I still cannot believe that I will be spending but a single day at home before my big flight to Japan.