A Study in Contradictions

I went to Japan for the first time in 7th grade (so... 2003? I get really confused about this.) for just nine days with my choir, but I went a second time the summer after 11th grade for six weeks - stayed with a host family, went to (middle) school, the whole shebang. My host family lived WAY out in the country, but my school was in Kyoto, so I had to take the train there and back every day, one hour each direction. I mostly used the time to write in my travel journal - never has a travel journal been so well-kept. And someday, surely, I will actually read it.

Yes, of course we are in the same age bracket! (Although I was rather worried during the friending meme to see that every single person was at least three years older than me... and then futuere showed up and I felt better about it.) That is a large part of why I am so impressed by your crossword-solving skills - I would be unable to answer such questions, something I largely try to blame on my age. (Though my dad does ask me for help when it comes questions about a. Japanese culture b. Italian culture and c. English literature.) I'm not sure I really have the brain for trivia - random facts don't really seem to stick. However, I do really well at remembering anything told to me in a story format - so, books, movies, tv shows, anything like that. I routinely impress my friends with my ability to tell them random details from specific episodes of our favorite tv shows. (Maybe impress is the wrong word. More like... cause mild concern.)