Ganbarimashou.

AKA: "Let's do our best."

Today is my second day at work after being gone for a week - I did some traveling, first with my teachers and then on my own, of which I'll be writing shortly. In any case, I'm still a little off of my regular schedule as far as sleep is concerned, my apartment is a mess for a variety of reasons, and I'm having trouble getting back into the work groove. My mind was so focused on first this vacation and secondly on the upcoming visit from my parents that I somewhat forgot I still have to teach 3 weeks of classes (including this one) until the school year is over, and then another 3.5 months of classes after that.

I was dragging my feet, feeling overworked and resentful, until I realized something: 
This is my job. My feelings don't come into play.
It wasn't a happy awakening, but it somehow helps. Travel is important to me, of course, but the priority right now is teaching classes. I may not want to, I may not enjoy it, but it's my job - will be until my contract ends in August - and thus must take top priority. 

I'm suffering from a variety of things, I think - the feelings of "senioritis" from the ending of a school year and from my own imminent departure; early onset of spring fever; a down-swing on the Culture Shock graph of my time here; looking so far in the future as far as my plans are concerned that I forget where I am in the present. It doesn't change the fact that I've 5 more months to live here and, though the time will fly as the end draws closer, it's still a sizable chunk of time.

I'm trying to set small goals: "get through the day" and "get to the weekend" rather than looking at the longer-term. I have things to look forward to. I just have to keep things manageable until then.