Can`t Sleep... Can`t Sleep!

One universal truth in my life, no matter my age, location, anything - is that I can never sleep the night before my first day of school; never have (just ask my Mom) and very likely, never will.
I had such an exciting day today. I went to Kobe with my two girlfriends, Aki from the　International　Exchange Office, and Tomoko from Wakakusa dormitory. We had Hanami in celebration of the Sakura. Sakura is cherry blossom, and Hanami is a special picnic or bonfire with friends and family under the cherry blossoms. We ate sushi, special rice cakes that were decorated pink for Sakura, and drank green tea (which I am drinking all day every day now!)
If you ever have a chance to visit Japan you have to come during Sakura. This is the biggest cultural event of the year - Like Christmas is in America. These little pink flowers captivate every asset of Japanese life for about a month, it`s just wonderful.
We also went to Kobe by train to do some serious shopping! Many of the Japanese young women wear really sexy high heels all day every day - with blue jeans or mini skirts, anything really. Wanting to be `cool` I just had to get myself some sexy shoes, so Aki and Tomoko helped me pick some out. Of course, my feet are just too big for most Japanese shoes (once again, I feel like the 50-foot woman!) but I did find one great pair. Japanese fashion is light years ahead of US fashion! I love it!
I was really suprised to see that Kobe had a `Chinatown` I don`t know why I was suprised, I guess it makes perfect sense, and there it is. I had fun eating soft ice cream with Mango and looking at all of the Chinese architecture. It was so crouded too, I may have well has been in Hong Kong.
As I said before, I have my first day of school tomorrow. Already, I have homework to turn in and lessons to be learned. I hope that I can meet my sensai`s expectations. Both Sarah and Leah really excelled at Japanese. I`m feeling a little insecure; I don`t want to be Mukogawa`s first dud. Just when I thought I had hiragana solid and was good as gold, I got completely thrown by katakana and begin forgetting my hiragana. And don`t even get me started on Kanji - that is just one convoluted sadistic linguistic joke.
Arrgghh! I so badly want to speak this language, but it is going to be a real educational challenge. I admire the international students who become bilingual, I can`t imagine flowing so fluidly between these two crazy languages.
The more I get to know the girls in the dorm and the staff at MWU, the more I really want to become a better communicator.... but when and how?
All I can do is have faith in the future that I cannot see. After all, that theory has taken me this far, and just look at what I`ve got to show for it :)