Be prepared for the time of your life! The trip is so much fun! I am sure you are already very excited! I would like to give you a few pointers of the do's and don'ts of this trip. Some of these are things that no one told us, but I thought you would want to know. First of all, I'd like to talk about clothes. You do not need as many as you think you do! You have probably already already begun to think about clothing. You do not need a different outfit for every day. One skirt can be worn with 2 different shirts. Some, well, most people brought clothes that they had bought just for the trip, and never even wore them. Another thing about clothes, is always dress nicely. The low end of the dress code may feel uncomfortable, but you may be uncomfortable because everyone else is dressed nicer.
Now to another subject...Money. Okay, this is a tough subject. If you want lots of souveniers bring lots of money. You see, I don't think most people realize how much you need to spend on trains and meals. $300.00 was a good number for me, but if I did it over again, I would take more.
Eating. It is very important...You Should Eat. That sounds funy huh? Well, sometimes people don't feel hungry at a mealtime, so they just don't eat. That is a bad thing. It is important that you eat on an a Japan schedule so that you can adjust to the time. Sometimes skipping dinner (or another meal) will save money, but that is a bad idea. You can make yourself sick if you don't eat. Also, drink lots of liquids. Try as many weird foods as possible, just so you can say that you've tried them. If you have tried something, and you really don't like it at all, it is ok to tell your host family(politely) that you do not care for it. They will understand. Just don't do this with everything. That' s about it for pointers, I can think of a few others, but they aren't too important, and half the fun is learning them yourself. You will learn a a lot and it will be fun learning. You will feel so lucky, and you will make so many new friends.
One last thing, it's okay to cry a lot at the farewell party. Have fun! I know you will! Everything is just so amazing! Oh yeah, don't be afraid of using the Japanese Toilet, they aren't that bad! Okay, I just thought of another subject that I MUST cover...GIFTS! It is quality, not quantity. You don't need to bring your host family millions of gifts, just make them from the heart. You don't want to overwhelm them and make them feel bad. Okay, now I'm done. Have fun!

Love,
Jennifer Melvin

PS- Can I come in your suitcase>