Catageddon.

3 days before departure, and aside from asking myself questions like "what was I thinking?", "what am I forgetting?", and "can I do this?", I should be asking myself, "did I forget my toothbrush?" or "should I bring my teddy bear or not?" NOT deep in the weeds of "can my asshole handle Japanese prison?"

remember when i said if i want something in life, it doesn't come easily? case in point: a few days ago while researching on Reddit, i discovered that my ADHD medications (stimulants) are seriously illegal in Japan. and they take their laws very seriously, in Japan. despite these being just layovers, i've just spent the last few days hyperventilating and trying to figure out how to legally bring along my Vyvanse with me for my trip. my Adderall, however, will not be coming with me. As it is strictly prohibited, no exceptions. Something to do with methamphetamine and amphetamine overuse and addiction through WWII resulting in an outright ban in 1951.

I've been in correspondence with the Narcotics Control Department of Japan, contacting doctors, going from one CVS to battling the final boss CVS-- trying to correctly send over the required paperwork and photographs via email, and holding my breath. I can't believe I almost went through and had no idea. I'm a damn fool, honestly. I should have checked sooner. I believe I have now sent over everything correctly, to both the Tokyo and Osaka offices for each layover. But it's really down to the wire. it normally takes 2 weeks to process this kind of request. I'm humbly begging the N.C.D. of Japan to forgive my American ignorance, and to please approve my applications, while my chest constricts by the minute.

3 days before departure and my fate lies in their hands. i try to do nearly if not absolutely everything above board these days. i'm not stupid enough to fuck around and catch a drug trafficking charge. so if you find yourself daydreaming at work about visiting Japan ever, I'd highly suggest reading up on their laws and checking to see if ANY of your medications happen to be illegal there. it's really not worth the risk. period.

you can find a list of all of their controlled substances and the level of prohibition each item has here, along with the proper import and export forms you would file for the corresponding airport location. if you have any questions about the process i went through for this, feel free to email me, i can walk you through the steps i took and try to help you avoid making some of the same mistakes i've made. but i must tell you to get this sorted out way in advance.

and lastly, although i'm sure this isn't even the final mishap before we leave... one of my cats technicolor yawned into my open suitcase, all over my new bathing suits. 3 days before departure. Catageddon.