There have been many advancements made this week concerning my preparations for study abroad, so I decided I would make another post!
On Monday, I was able to get vaccinated, with a few hiccups. I had done some research and had believed that I would need four shots to accommodate for traveling in both South Korea and Japan. Thankfully, I only had to have one shot (on Monday). The two main diseases travelers should be concerned about in South Korea are Typhoid and Malaria. Since I will be steering clear of the DMZ and rural areas, I need not worry about Malaria. And in any case, Malaria vaccinations are pills, not shots. Furthermore, we discovered that there is a live oral vaccine for Typhoid, taken in the form of four pills over the course of a week, so I did not have to take it as a shot. (Yay!)
Concerning Japan, Hepatitis A and Japanese Encephalitis (JE) are the primary concerns. Fortunately, I am already up-to-date on my HepA because of school regulations. Unfortunately, JE turned out to be a vaccine that requires two separate shots, the second being given 28 days after the first. I did not find this information anywhere before going to the vaccination center so just barely made the cut off (my second shot will be given two days before departure). Also as an unfortunate occurrence, I passed out after I received my JE shot. I have never passed out before (and hope to never do so again), so it was an interesting experience. Honestly, I thought I had drifted off to sleep because I had a fast, peculiar dream involving this winged creature from an anime I had finished that day, bright colors, and burritos. We still do not know why I passed out, but for those hoping to get travel vaccines soon, remember: make sure to be hydrated, eat something beforehand, and despite some internet tips for pre-shot anxiety, do NOT work out before getting vaccinated. Another good thing was, however, that the nurse administered the shot extremely fast. I do not know if it was her technique or if shots are being designed to be given quicker, but I liked it.
One final note on diseases, Rabies is another concern in many Asian countries, but as long as travelers avoid stray cats, dogs, bats, and monkeys, one should be fine. Bats may seem tricky, but they really only pose a risk if one traverses caves or plans to be working with bats.
Wednesday, I received my student Visa in the mail! It was the primary preparation worrying me, so I am very relieved. It is actually quite pretty and is almost like a sticker on a page in my passport. It means I am officially going!
Thursday (yesterday), I booked a flight to LA in order to make my flight to Osaka in time. I was originally going to carpool, but my paranoia got the better of me. Now I can be sure to get to the airport with plenty of time before my international flight.
Finally, a good friend of mine has agreed to lend me their luggage scale so I can do a practice-packing session and make sure no baggage goes over the weight restrictions.
As my departure (and arrival) date grow nearer and preparations are checked off my list, I grow more and more excited! I have continued studying kanji and reviewing my grammar (although this week has been a lazy one in such regards). I think I have studied between 130 and 140 new kanji so far this year and on an upcoming Monday I will have a study session with fellow study abroad students and one alumni to prepare for my placement exam.
XD
