On the brink of that so-called Real World

This blogging thing is new to me. So let me start off by telling y'all a little bit about myself.

I'm a senior at Yale University. I major in East Asian Studies with a concentration in China and the Chinese language. But I spent most of my time here doing theater and singing in a cappella groups, going to random places in China on free fellowship money, and waitressing. On May 22nd, I'll be done with my alcohol-&-theater-filled college experience and the real world will unfold before me, complete with a real job and a real apartment and real bills to pay. I start at my new position as a business analyst ("B.A." for short) on August 8th, at a supposedly big-shot consulting firm called McKinsey & Company. Their specialty is 'management consulting.' I'll let you know when I figure out the precise definition of those two magic words. Between May 22nd and August 8th, I'll be heading home to Tokyo for a month and then flying back to Ft. Worth to embark on the first road trip of my entire life. (Note that I'll be road-tripping but not driving, which will be the substance of another entry later!) Then the exploration of a new life in a new city will begin.

So where was I before coming to Yale? I was born and raised in Tokyo by my Japanese mom and American dad. I have a little brother who's three years younger than me; we both attended Nishimachi International School and then transferred to the American School in Japan ('ASIJ'), the largest school of its kind in Japan. The mix of students at this school was particularly diverse, with about half hailing from the States, another third from Japan, and the rest from all over the globe. Going to ASIJ and the people I met there have influenced the way I live and view the world immeasurably, but that'll be the substance of another entry later. Suffice is to say that I grew up in a rather unorthodox, bilingual environment--and loved it. Tokyo and my close-knit circle of friends from ASIJ will always be my home.

My hope for this blog is that it will serve as a platform for me to share my thoughts with my friends, family, and anyone else who decides to stop by. I'll be travelling a lot in my new job, and it'll be a good way for people to keep tabs on me. I'm envisioning it as a diary-style blog that will answer the question, "Where in the World is Emmy Suzuki Harris?" (Though I'll be the first to admit it doesn't sound as cool as the old-school spy game.) Anyway, stay for a minute, stay for ten minutes, leave a comment or e-mail me to get in touch! I'm psyched you stopped by and hope you'll come visit again soon.