I had a nightmare early this morning. I remember only snatches of it. I remember being at the front desk of a hotel trying to explain to them that I can only stay a few nights, but then I have to fly to Russia and back, and stay a few more. They can't seem to understand.

And in my mind, I'm thinking, "Russia? What the heck? I don't know anything about Russia. How can I get around there? My friends are counting on me." Then I start second-guessing myself. Did I get the dates right? Did I factor in enough time for the plane ride? I get a few flashes of riding on the plane and being relieved.

I'm with my friends. Suddenly we're somewhere else. A mall or something in Japan, by a beach. We're riding in an elevator. For a moment, I start to worry that something's wrong with the elevator, and the exact moment I do, it starts plummeting downwards. At first I'm scared, but then I'm like, "How many floors is this thing? We'll just free fall down a floor or two, hit the bottom, and be fine. We can survive this!"

I can't remember if we hit the bottom. I remember it getting really shaky, and me not being too scared. More like taking charge, trying to calm my friends in the elevator down, making them flex for impact or whatever.

Then, I cut away. I can't remember if it was because my friend Gabe woke me up on gchat or if that was later. Where I appeared was in a happier dream. I was with my friends, and we were having a fun time. It's weird. I feel compelled to not mention it because it was like a private fun time spent with friends. Nothing you wouldn't see in a daytime Hallmark card commercial. Just nice.

I will share the end, though. I was out on the beach with a bunch of friends, and Jacob had purchased some disgusting black bag of goo that they love to sell in every aisle of supermarkets here in Japan. For some reason, he balanced it on my head as a joke, and it started leaking out the sides onto me. And he told me that that's what you're supposed to do with it, to prepare it for eating. I guess I'll believe anything here in Japan.

I definitely get the first part. I'm totally stressed about my trip to Kyoto I planned for me and my friends, especially one part where we leave the city to hang out in Nara with some internet friends of mine. It is in the middle of our stay at another hotel, and I'm still not 100% sure the woman I booked with understood it.

The end is more vague, but the meaning comes through. I'm happy here. I have a tight group of friends that I feel comfortable around. Comfortable enough to occasionally make a fool of myself, but I'll take that. Better than making a fool of myself alone in my house and having my cat roll his eyes at me.