Now, National Novel Writing Month has been over, and I haven't looked at my novel since... I'm taking a novel writing class in the spring and want to take a break from it until then

In the mean time, I've been chosen to go on a study abroad trip to Japan, whoo!! I was hoping to study literature/creative writing over there, to gain a new perspective on writing, blah blah blah.... PLUS, YAY JAPAN.

This is a big deal for someone who is nowhere near well-traveled. I've been to like... Chicago, Detroit, and Atlanta, but I was too young at the time for my parents to let me explore. So. All I know is this small city in Ohio that I am from And I've wanted to go to Japan and have been studying Japanese for nine years now.

Anyway, I am FREAKING OUT. Not only because I get to leave the country but because well... it costs $4,000 and I have like..... $200. And I have no idea what to do. Being a student, I'll probably end up paying loans for the rest of my life anyway, but... Still... I don't really want to take out more.

I'd greatly appreciate any ideas to help me fund-raise. In the mean time, I've decided to tell all my friends I'm going $5 writing commissions for poems and short stories. (My artist friends get all the money though because people seem to like pictures more than writing *sob*)

So..... I've resorted to these options:

http://www.gofundme.com/1obugw (GoFundMe is a website to generally raise money for charity and/or individual endeavors)

and

http://fiverr.com/harriethuntress/wr...t-storiespoems (because why not)

Any ideas? Any at all?

I'll let someone else say what's on everyone's mind.