I spent the first portion of the day unpacking, trying to unriddle the buttons of the various instruments in the bathroom, and waltzing about the campus. My check-in with Akita International University was smooth, the volunteer students being incredibly kind and patient individuals, and my agenda was peppered with orientations spread across the grounds.

(My first cafeteria meal. Please note how balanced, well-presented, and distinctly not-pizza-or-hamburgers it is. Take note, America.)

At one point I noticed the aforementioned volunteer students of AIU frantically folding paper cranes to use as decorations for dinner tables. I told them their origami looked beautiful and I wished I knew how to make them myself, causing the whole group to promptly pull out a chair and urge me to sit with them and learn. I did! The first photo of this post was the result.

In the evening I attended the “Welcome Dinner”, where I cherry-picked from a massive spread of traditional Japanese food and flitted through social circles attempting to strike conversation. Unfortunately, I always find these events to be a little… Rough… At universities. It seems like no matter how animated you are or how many questions you ask, the overwhelmingly vast majority of the attendants would simply like to commiserate with their few friends. Still, I managed to meet many people and have some wonderful conversations! I even greatly enjoyed the icebreaking game of “musical introductions”, where we would mill about to music until it stopped then break into introductions with whoever we were standing around.

And now it is bedtime. I’m utterly exhausted and don’t doubt I will pass out as soon as I lay my head down, despite the massive disparity between the plush heaven of bedding I have at home in the states and the minimalist futon I’m glaring at right now.