303/365 San Fran ---> Kyoto

Since I arrived so early on "San Fran" time, I got to my gate and I was the only one here. So, I took the opportunity to at least get a 365 shot in since no one at home is awake. It's 8:30am here and my plane doesn't leave for another 3 hours. I didn't figure my layover time was this long. I was an idiot for thinking my take off times on my tickets were all on Austin time. Durrrrr.

Anyways, I'm so tired it's stupid. I could not, for the life of me, fall asleep on the flight here and now I'm so delirious that the currency exchange lady thought I was deaf and dumb. Also, the Japanese currency is extremely low. They tell me that means it's strong, but for my $5200, I got 435,000円. If I was to exchange the opposite way, I would be hooting and hollering and doing a little dance. Not the other way around. Oh well. 

God I'm tired. Want sleep. Good thing I brought my pillow. Also, I'll quit rambling. Maybe I can find a nice chair to nap in. 

less than 15 hours...

I will be arriving in Kansai in around 36 hours from now.  I will then be taking the train for another 70 minutes into Kyoto where I will meet my housing agent and he will be taking me to my apartment. This is definitely going to be a long and hard trip. I'm ready though. 

So, it may be a while before I update anything including my 365. I'll take pictures, but those won't be available to me to upload for a while. 

Things are gonna go fast from here on out. I can feel it. I hope that my trip is smooth and easy. I'm a bit worried about it otherwise. 

Much love to everyone who actually reads my blog. I know I'm not exactly the most interesting person in the world, but I do appreciate any traffic that comes through whether it be strangers or friends. 

:)

302/365 She Knows...

My heart splits into a million pieces by one look from those little brown eyes. 

This is the last 365 that will be seen safely to say in at least 3 or 4 days. I'll update accordingly as I arrive and what not.

I love you little bear. 

Next time I write, I'll be thousands of miles away! So long!

301/395 Eff today

Everything is getting packed. My camera is snug in my travelers backpack while everything else is being put into their spots. Two suitcases, 1 travel backpack, and 1 computer bag. I feel like I'm overpacking. Actually, I'm sure I am. But, that's ok. 

The reason my picture is less than a happy bye-bye photo is because it seems Austin is giving me an early going away present. My car got fucking stolen. Less than 40 hours before I board a flight to Japan, my stinking car was stolen. How's that for a great situation? I'm glad I didn't leave anything in my car and all my belongings are inside and safe with me. Who knows. Something will happen at the airport or my flight will crash. Please pray for me. 

Today sucks. The end.

2 days

Jidai Matsuri in Kyoto.

300/365 You don't get much better than my papa's shirt

This is pretty personal for a 365, but it's the people I will miss more than anything. I love my papa and mama. My mom, brother and sister. My aunt and my 2 cousins. I love them all.

3 days

Illuminated Togetsukyo Bridge in Arashiyama during Hanatoro.

299/365 You can see the exhaustion

I went out after everything with my sister yesterday and this photo was snapped of me. It's pathetic. I saw my eyes and couldn't believe what I saw. It looks like I'm about to keel over. Goodness, I'm exhausted. Today, I've been staying in and getting things done around here, but I still feel like this picture looks. 

4 days

Hakone is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, less than 100 kilometers from Tokyo. It's one of the more popular places to escape when you get tired of Tokyo. 

298/365 Budding photographer

My sister and I had some quality time together again today. This time we went to the dobie and saw Toy Story 3 and also walked around UT campus a bit and also went into the Harry Ransom center. She wanted to try out my camera and she took this shot. I just "vintaged" it up. The rest is all her. 

My little budding 9 yr old photographer. I'm going to miss her so much while I'm abroad. I plan on sending as much Pokemon stuff I can get my hands on for her to enjoy. She's obsessed with Pokemon of all things. It's weird because my brother was too, 10 years ago!! How has Pokemon stayed so relevant the last 15 years?! 

5 days

That sure is a weird looking tree.  These are some trees along the path towards  Motsuji Temple in Hiraizumi.

297/365 Ouchies

I took my sister to Schlitterbahn today. (A big waterpark here in central texas that was rated best waterpark in the US by the Travel Channel)

I didn't get burned at all over my entire body, but  yet somehow, I burned my upper back. I slathered that sunscreen on too. 

Also, this picture made me gawk at my spine. It's so prominent! It sticks out so far! yuck.

This project sure does show you things about yourself that you aren't very much aware of. 

6 days

Kamikochi resort in Nagano.

296/365 so tired

I'm just so tired.  Going to Schlitterbahn tomorrow with the siblings. 

7 days - 1 freaking week

Deer rest in the shade on Miyajima.

295/365

I'm going to be super busy the next week. The 365 has been suffering lately due to my upcoming move, but this time it's going to take a nosedive. I still post something, but nothing I think is going to be very creative because I simply will not have time to edit any photos or go out of my way with makeup or anything. 

7 days now until I leave. So, it's going to be crazy the next week. Tomorrow is officially my last day at my job that I've been at for 6 years. I'm sad. I'm also leaving behind some important people in my life that thinking about it hurts. My brain and heart are hurting. Oh wow, this is starting to get really intense. 

8 days

A picturesque scene along the Oirase Stream in Aomori Prefecture. 

294/365 I'm going to miss you Vulcan

You get a photobooth picture from me today. You can't get more SOOC than this.

It's my last opening shift at my video store job that I've had for the last 6 years. I'm going to miss it, but it's time to move on. It's bittersweet. 

Guest appearances by Nic Cage in our awesome The Boy in Blue poster and our odd Viking hat that just sits on top of a computer. 

9 days

A Nebuta Matsuri float in Aomori. 

293/365

I took this on my street in front of my house at about 2:30am and it's always dead. In this particular photo, one car happened to be stopped at the red light and had their headlights shine right at the perfect place for the photo. I added my silly crazy sky, but otherwise this photo is mostly SOOC. 

10 days

Crossing a bridge in  Yakushima at daybreak.

292/365 bird's nest

\

One of my least effort and least favorite so far. Sorry, I'm tapped out right now and really freaking tired. My stupid insomnia is deciding to destroy my soul right now. :(

11 days

The ski hills of Niseko illuminated at night.

291/365 Vulcanites

These are two fellow employees I'm going to miss immensely. Rockie my brother from another mother (middle) and Jared simply is one of the sweetest and most amusing guys I've ever met. (right) In Jared's honor, OHIIIIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

12 days

Light breaking through the ancient trees of Yakushima.

This site is the influence for the forest in Princess Mononoke. It's simply stunning and I have yet to visit it even though I was in Kagoshima. I'd definitively like to go there.

Things are picking up the pace now. I got my address yesterday and I now know where I'll be living in Kyoto. 

Here is where my apt. location will be:

google map location for Shichijo Goshonouchi honmachi, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto

4 more shifts left to work at my job and I'm done! That's just 2 more paychecks! Ah!

Then it's sister/sister time from the 24th-27th. On the 27th, I'm going to see my family at my cousin's graduation party and say good bye to them there. Wow. Just 12 more days.

290/365

I had to make use of the Robert Smith hair and use it for Nightmare week in the group Theme of the Week in Flickr. I haven't done a vampire picture and it seems everyone has. So, here's my addition to the vampire pile. 

13 days

Gassho-zukuri farmhouses of Ogimachi Village.

289/365 The spiderman is having me for dinner tonight

Oh man, this was a hell of a lot of fun to do. That's all I have to say.

If you don't know who I'm paying homage to, I suggest you brush up on your 80's music history immediately.
Also, they happened to be a major musical influence when I was an angsty teen. 

2 weeks

Temple decoration on Mount Takao.

288/365

We messed around with underwater shots again and dealing with the underwater case is a real pain in the booty. It wants to float to the surface while you are trying to swim to the bottom.
We barely got a single shot and I think this is the most useable one. *facepalm*
Unless you have a weight to hold you down or a specialized underwater case, I'd say underwater photography is pretty difficult.

15 days

A statue in one of the gardens of Sanzenin Temple during the autumn season.

287/265 Tamina makeup

This is more of a glamour shot than anything else

I tried doing the Tamina eye makeup from Prince of Persia with what I had, but I don't have bright gold or deep black to really make things pop. Also, I don't have a black wig, so the white one had to do. Either way, it's just a pretty picture. Not much else.

16 days

Charms sold at a temple.

286/365

*Shrug* I really dunno. I'm pretty low on inspiration and imagination right now.

17 days

Cycling through the hills in an undisclosed place in Japan. 

(All these images have been pulled from Japan-guide.com if you haven't figured that out already)

285/365 Muse is my Muse

Yeah, so this whole galactic/nebula thing is become a bit repetitive. I've done it 3? times now? Or just twice, one including myself and another on someone else's photo.
Anywho, I just wanted to do one that resembled a Muse photo that they used for the last album Black Holes and Revelations.
I miss Muse. The Resistance has turned into the Twilight album. :(

18 days

A bridge in the Nishizawa Keikoku.

284/365 I love you too

I love you too little bear.

19 days

Miyajima gate late in the day when the tide is out.

283/365 Got my visa

I got my visa today. Apparently, I'm a specialist in Humanities. :)

But, it's so awesome to have a 3 year visa again. It completely sucked when my purse got stolen in Pennsylvania in 2008 and I had to report it missing and get another passport. That visa was then basically null and void when I got it back a year later. It's so strange how things happen that way. A lady calls me out of the blue almost exactly a year later to tell me she found all my stuff bundled up and put on top of her trashcan. She was kind enough to send it all back. I guess the person liked my purse and wallet enough to take those (well, including my money), but my credit cards and everything else were pretty worthless since I canceled them all before they could be used. God, that day sucked. 

I wasn't able to go to the Canadian side of Niagara falls because my passport and my brother's were in my wallet. It was a bad time in my life. Let's just say that.

20 days

Since I got placement in Kyoto, I thought I'd post a picture of one the most famous districts there, the Gion district.

282/365 Deep circles

I've been battling insomnia again and it's taking a toll on my face. Underneath my eyes is a deep blue color and my face looks like I'm back to being 13 again. sigh.

Kyoto

I got my housing placement today that solidifies where I will be living for the next year. 

I will now be a resident of Kyoto, Japan and feel like I am walking on air.

It was my first choice above everything. It was in all my applications and said in all interviews that Kyoto was my ideal destination. I always got the "ha, yeah right" look from almost all of the interviews because Kyoto is the most sought after city behind Tokyo. But since Tokyo is a relatively large and turnover is high, Tokyo is more accessible. Kyoto on the other hand seems to be a city that not many let go of. 

The fact I got this luck makes me want to thank some sort of higher being for granting me my one wish. I was looking forward to Osaka, but now that I will be a resident of Kyoto, I'm so happy it's making my stomach churn with anticipation. 

Even in my interview with ECC, they told me that Kyoto was a difficult placement, but Osaka and Kobe would be most likely. Thank you ECC. Thank you.

AH! I am so surprised and so excited. This is going to be one hell of a year. (Hopefully, this means a good hell of a year)

21 days

Cherry Blossoms at Iwakuni.

22 days

Fall colors in Kyoto.

281/365 flutter

This was for another challenge in the flickr group My Face is My Canvas. My image is a pretty literal version of the example image in a sense, but it's also different. I dunno. It took a good 3 washes before all that makeup came off. On the upside of things, I won my second challenge in that same group for my Princess Mononoke picture. I'm pretty stoked about that.  Here's links to both challenges:

Anime challenge - winner!!

The current challenge for the above image

280/365 I want to break free

I've been listening to a lot of queen lately and I've always wanted to recreate the magic of the bohemian rhapsody image. Mine is a tad bit goofier because I had to insert my silliness into it somehow. :)

23 days

Tea fields and Mount Fuji.

24 days

Narrow Streets of a fishing town.

279/365

278/365 gypsy road

I really didn't have time yesterday or today to do a photo. I finally fell asleep last night after a wonderful get together with my favorite girls. But, I slept until 4pm and I have to be at work at 6. I tried taking a normal photo, but it's boring and it looks like something I've done before. I'll post it here anyways, to show that I tried, but I just didn't have the time today or will the rest of the day since I have to be there until 2am. I'm slipping. I need to get this back on track. I'm so close to the end. 

I tried but this is similar to so many other images that I just couldn't bring myself to use it. pffftttt.