Last day in Japan

Well, what a day this has been. It started out as just a pleasent

day, waking up to snow on the trees in Gakuentoshi. I was so

surprised, though I had no idea what kind of day it would make

this I just trudded along, enjoying the snow taking pictures and

just taking in every minute of the spectacular show Japan is

with snow on it. Also it being my last day. I went and canceled

my phone, my friend who was going to help me with that was

late, so I had to try on my own, I did accomplish it though.

Next I went to the school and took some rare pictures of snow

on Gaidai, running short on time I went to the station and met

my teacher michael also my friend Daiki came too for coffee. I

then went to my house and finished packing, it was stressful

though I did it ok. My friends were already there waiting for

me so they seemed impatient, though we had plenty of time.

We were going to take a rental car to the airport with friends,

though we were afraid Michael wouldn't make it, but we all

squeezed into the backseat of a japanese car with 4 full size

guys. It was cramped we picked up Kana and headed for the

airport. however, guess what we did not anticipate? Yeah you

would have never guessed, a traffic jam! Not just any traffic

jam but the monster of all traffic jams. Every expressway in

Osaka was closed, due to snow! So what did we do? We got

off when we could, though it took 2 hours, we all thought long

and hard on what to do, even thinking of going to the

shinkansen, though we think it would have been impossible to

make it. So we fell to the most reasonable alternative, I took a

ferry alone across the bay to the airport. I wanted to go on the

ferry anyway, thoughh I gave in and decided to go with my

friends and take a rental car. Anyway, it was actually nice, I

met them as I left, and they could wave Bon Voyage to me as I

sailed away into the sunset on a ship bound for America. Ha

ha, that's so sappy, and I just thought about it as I wrote. I sat

next to a very nice Japanese lady, and I spoke Japanese with

her for quite a long time it was very enjoyable, then when we

got off, we had to load into a little bus, which the advertisers

did not inform us of. so this horrible ride, with all my luggage I

had to lift into the bus with no step to help me I struggled and

swung around as the bus made hard crazy turns around the

airport terminal. I then got off and was still struggling a bit

though I could handle it, but then a very kind lady came up and

offered to help me as I had 4 bags to carry, her family was with

her and I couldn't believe how kind she was. She even helped

me find my gate and try to call my friend. I must be the most

pathetic looking guy on the planet sometimes for people to go

through such trouble for me, I am honestly and truly thankfor

for the blassings I have in my friends and even in the strangers

who have come to the rescue in the past. I have got to be the

luckiest guy on the planet. After that I boarded the the airplane

just in time, with not much time to spare. Also when I sat down

I was seated next to two very kind people, one guy about my

age able to speak Japanese and English, on the other side of

me was seated a very kind lady, who had rode the ferry I was

on and watched me board and saw how many of my friends

were on the dock waving to me as I left. She also got her meal

upgraded to first class, but she said she did not want the extra

food and because I was young I should eat it instead, I at first

did not accept it but she insisted, so I got a really good meal on

the airplane, it was awesome! So most of the flight I spoke in

Japanese all the way to America, and some english too. The

guy even wanted my facebook after he met me and said, feel

free to visit me in Japan if you ever want to come back.

Somehow I make friends too easily, why? All in all I'd say it

was an enjoyable flight though I don't care for United so much,

but it is not bad. So next was San Francisco airport and I have

to say I don't like it, it is such a badly designed airport. So I

was then seated next to a nice guy, I think he worked for some

insurance company I think he said, we chatted about Japan a

bit and just had smalltalk which was a nice. I landed in Seattle

and I have to say the airport in Seattle is much nicer though the

security could use a bit better bedside manner, however I did

get them joking with me, and they started teasing me. I told

people I came from Japan and it stuns them and respond such

like, "good job!" and are nicer. Though one guy after I took my

Coat off, he asked me to take off my hoodie sweater too, then

found I had a regular sweater under it and a collared polo, so

he said "you must be cold!" I said, "well it was snowing in

Japan and it's cold in Spokane", then he said, "it looks like it

might snow tomorrow!"
As I walked up to the matal detector, he said "oh we need

your pants too!" I was like "What? my Pants?" then he laughed

and siad "no no! you're ok, go ahead!" Doah! Why was I

picked on? That's just not cool. Then I wandered around the

baggage claim area wondering where to go next since I found

my luggage. So then I got to my airplane with hours to spare

for my last flight, too bad, it would have been nice to just get

on and go, but oh well! Anyway, in the end I am glad I had this

time to write this all down while it's fresh in my mind. I still have

one more airplane to go, it takes off in a little over an hour, so

we will see just how much more of the adventure there is!

Final day

Well I spend my final day on campus in Japan, it was one of the most heart wrenching experiences I've ever had. Many people came to campus just to say goodbye. It was really touching and made me very happy although it was hard to take all the sadness that was floating in the air. It was so hard to say goodbye and many refused to say it, I couldn't even say it sometimes. All the while just saying, I'm leaving for America, see you again! I didn't want to say I hope, because that seems false, I really want to come back but at the same time I think there is still that huge doubt in most of their minds which is where the sadness starts.

For several I was able to hold my tears, and was generally happy most of the day until my friend Yuji came with his girlfriend Eri. They are such a sweet couple, and Yuji has been a great all around general friend who took me for me, he didn't have any preconceptions about me and had no wall to push me out; we simply enjoyed each other's company. Saying goodbye to him and his girlfriend was really hard, as I was friends with her too and she is very sensitive, so I could feel it. I did a good job hiding the tears from the Tasaka-san for a while, but after a while I told her what happened, I'm glad though because then someone knows how I was really touched. After that I waited for Makita-san to come all the way to campus to just say goodbye to me, and avoid the staff and students. It was really hard, I wanted to say how much I appreciated her in my stay in Japan, but the more I said the more she wanted to cry, so I said it as simply as I could and spared her some tears. She really was sad about how much she appreciated how I helped Gaidai with the students. I feel she thought I had no reservations to help, but simply I just wanted to. I tried to tell her how it was just the way I am everywhere, and I am glad of it, but she still thought I did so much. That goodbye will always remember and keep the memory close to my heart. I tried to joke that she took too good care of me, so I had to help with the students of gaidai, but she said she didn't help them at all as a joke as well picking on my friend Daiki who was with me at the time.

Next I went to campus and went to the Dojo and collected my things before I left, surprising everyone there, but they all seemed happy to see me. I took pictures of everyone and traded some addresses, then left to go say goodbye to the staff of Gaidai. That was Tasaka-san, this goodbye was really final and with the entire staff, they all said their goodbyes and I left Gaidai with tears in my eyes. I will always remember this place with tenderness and love because that's how everyone felt toward me.

There were dozens of little stories like these for each person I said goodbye to, and really the hardest part was finding a friend who didn't know I was leaving so soon. I just didn't have enough time, I know tomorrow at the airport I will go with tears on my face and leave many tears behind on the faces of my friends, I can only hope my life again in America will be as great as it was here, I will definitely do my best to make it that way.

2nd floor thinking of second chances

Well things are quickly closing in on the end of my stay in Japan, I keep coming up with more and more ways to seem to put off my time. Such as, I'm not leaving until next year, or not until next month, and now next week, 10 days, 9 days... and so forth. I don't want to believe I am leaving, but at the same time it is coming up and more and more I think of things I am going to miss. People I wish I could bring with me, and things I wish would always stay the same. I am doing my best to just enjoy my time here, but at the same time I know that the time is coming and I will have to say my final good byes. I really have enjoyed it here in Japan; there may have been some small problems, well not small but I look at them as insignificant. I have had such a great time and met so many great people that there is no way any insignificant problem could ever take them away.

The question now is what do I want to do before I leave, I have several days and a lot can be done in those few days. Some people get only a few days in their whole life to stay in such a different culture, and I can not take it for granted because I have been here for so long.

There are a few things I hope to be able to do. Maybe not such big deals, but I feel they are important to me. I hope to get a sweatshirt from the Kyudo club. I also want to take pictures with friends who I enjoy meeting every day but never really got a chance to do a lot with, but I know I will miss seeing them and I want to remember them.

People keep asking me if I am going to try going somewhere before I leave, but really I feel as though I want to spend my last days here near where I live and really etch the memory of this place into my head, rather than many small but colorful memories which I may end up forgetting sooner than later.

Today I spent hanging around campus enjoying the people around, talking, laughing, joking, and having fun conversations. I tried practicing a little Japanese, and just had a good time. I am somewhat worrying about my future in the US, everything seems quite up in the air, I just pray that things will work out, and I will do my best to continue with my life.