Update

I finally booked my flight this weekend. It's so strange, but actually having the ticket (or a printout of the itinerary with a barcode on it) makes everything so much more real. I had to rearrange my flights a bit because of availability - I am officially leaving on May 18, and returning on August 12. 27 hours of travel time, including a 1.5 hour layover in Atlanta, and 1.75 hour layover in Tokyo. So, add it up, and we're looking at around 23.5 hours of actual flying time. Now that is something I'm not really looking forward to!

Between studying (or rather, in lieu of) I have been packing up various things in my apartment, as well as my suitcase. The girl who is subletting my apartment is moving in next Tuesday, so I'm trying to get this place somewhat in order before she comes. I suppose it's a little strange that I have an open suitcase sitting in the floor in my living room with things already packed, but I am so excited to leave that any step in that direction makes everything feel more real. I just can't believe it's really happening - I'm going to spend 3 months in another country. I feel like something is going to happen that will delay my trip, but I felt like that going to India and I know it's just nerves because I am so excited to go!

I emailed my boss to give her my flight information, and she seems very excited to have me. As I mentioned earlier, the new attorney that I will be working under starts a week before I arrive, and I also found out that there will be another female legal intern from the UK coming in June. I also found out more about the projects I will be working on while there - they include setting up a Resource Center that houses a library of migration materials; working on migration/gender research projects; and providing mediation services and a legal helpdesk. I will also be working with their Public education and Outreach program, which includes working on projects to do with HIV AIDs education; the Day Off Campaign; STOP, a campaign to stop the sex trafficking of women and children; and Media communication. Finally, I will also be working with Corporate Responsibility (CSR) Partners to help build the CSR network and expand volunteer resource pool of professionals and researchers. I am excited and I feel pretty confident that with all that, they will be able to keep me busy!

There probably will not be too many other updates in the next couple of weeks - I have to prepare for exams and get the rest of my trip in order. But look for more to come as my departure date draws closer - I hope to post more regularly once I get over there and have more to keep y'all updated on!

:)