HOME - Month 8 in Review & Reflections

Month eight's review will be a little different from other "Month in Review" posts as most of August was spent back home in the United States. Toyota grants us a two-week home leave each year - and we decided to schedule our leave just before the week-long Japanese holiday of Obon. So, that gave us just about three weeks in the United States. Three weeks may sound like a long time - but I can tell you that it FLEW by and we didn't even manage to see all of the people we had hoped to!

I was curious to see what - if anything - felt different when we returned home. In March, most things felt normal - but I had only been gone about eight weeks at the time. And there's a big difference between eight weeks and eight months. 

I thought I would write a little bit about what our home leave entailed and then reflect a bit on my observations. 

So, here's Month Eight! 

The Happenings of our Home Visit

San Antonio, Texas

The first few days of home leave were spent in San Antonio, Texas visiting Kaz's mom and Bill. They moved to San Antonio about two months ago for Bill's job - and are in the process of closing on a house. We spent some time exploring the city and even visited Mission San Jose and the Alamo. We also enjoyed our fill of Mexican food - as that's one cuisine they don't really have in Japan. And I miss it! 

Kaz stayed in San Antonio and I began my journey to Camp Shout Out!! I flew to Cleveland - spent the day with my friend, Scott, and his family...which included meeting little Karis, a trip to the fair, a drive-in movie, and pizza! Another food I have missed! The next morning, we began our drive to camp.Camp Shout Out

Camp Shout Out is a camp for individuals who stutter and is held in Muskegon, Michigan for a week every August. This was actually my sixth summer at Camp Shout Out and it was as amazing and magical as always! I always have such a hard time describing camp to those who haven't been there - because it is so much something you just feel and experience!

Cincinnati/NKY

After camp, Kaz and I headed to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky for a few days. On our drive back, our rental car's engine gave out about thirty minutes south of Bowling Green and we spent some time sitting on the side of the road waiting for Hertz to come. To make a super long story short, we ended up riding in a tow truck to the Dayton airport, picking up a new rental car there, and then driving the rest of the way to Cincinnati. Miraculously - this whole ordeal only added two hours on to our trip.  

Once we arrived in Cincinnati, we filled our days with doctor's appointments (hopefully lessening the need to see a doctor while in Japan), errands (to fill the empty suitcase we had brought home with us), and of course time with friends (wish the visits had been longer)! 

Michigan 

The last part of our trip was spent in Michigan visiting my family. And, pulling off a very successful surprise retirement party for my dad...who despite our suspicions had NO idea about the party! 

Reflections

-I can communicate! It was definitely nice to be back in a place in which I could communicate (and read) without thinking twice about it. I will say that when the TSA agent spoke to me in English at the Detroit airport - I gave her a blank stare for about 30 seconds before I realized that I could answer her back in English...and didn't need to take a ton of time to formulate my response. Other than this experience, and a few moments throughout the trip when I was reminded of how nice small talk can be during quick interactions with strangers, it felt natural to speak English again and I didn't really give it much thought. I will say, though, that there were some moments in which I had the urge to say "excuse me," "please," or "sorry" in Japanese. 

-Chores take less time (but things are a bit harder to get to). I have to say that I really did enjoy my washer and dryer when I was home. I couldn't believe how quickly I could get laundry done. I also enjoyed knowing what cleaning supplies to use for what - and also where to go when I needed to buy things. Aside from the washer and dryer, things were made easier just because I knew where to go. And, I recognize that this comes only with living in a place for long enough to establish your routine. I am sure that by the end of my time in Japan, I will have my places there too. Truthfully, I am already starting to. I did miss being able to walk to my errands like in Japan. In MI, OH, and KY...I had to drive everywhere!

-Two ends of the spectrum. One thing that I come to expect in Japan is consistency. No matter the store you go to - you are greeted in a similar way; the servers at various restaurants follow the same scripts; and, you know that the product or service you are going to get will be good. Japan's culture really centers around consistently doing things well. Hotels are clean (even if they are old and look quite run down); food is good (even at a 'fast-food' restaurant); and people are respectful (even if they may not be the most friendly). Sure, there are some differences - some amazing restaurants, some super friendly people - for sure...but you begin to expect 'at least' a certain level of service. 

When I was home, I realized that America seemed to fall more toward the two ends of the spectrum. People were either really friendly or really rude; food was either really awesome or really not. And, when we were calling to try and get a rental car - one person told Kaz there was no way he could help and when we called back another person told us that they could help for sure. Neither is good or bad...just a difference I've noticed...and one that doesn't surprise me, I guess, when I think about individualistic nature of America and the collective nature of Japan. Each with their own pros and cons. 

-Home. For me, our visit back to the US was filled with so many moments in which I just felt home. Yes, there were definitely moments in which I thought to myself - Things are different. I am different. My family and friends are different. I have missed so much. We met three new babies in this trip home! But, there were more moments in which I just felt home. Visiting family and friends reminded me of how nice it is to be around my people - and just how normal things can be even though you haven't been around someone in a long time. Being at camp - surrounded me with an intense feeling of home as well. At camp, I was reunited with many close friends and in a place that I have come to know well. And, being back in my professional element reminded me of my passion for working with people who stutter.

It's funny because people asked me - What do you HAVE to do when back in America? What are the things you are looking forward to doing, eating, etc.? I really thought that I would have those lists - those things I had to do when I returned home...and I was surprised to say that I really didn't. Sure, pizza and Mexican food were delicious AND I could have done without them. For me, all that I wanted when it came to being home was to spend time with those people who make me feel home. 

Of course, I have many more reflections - but these were the major ones! I'm sure I'll have more on future visits home too. Now that I am back in Japan, I have been thinking more about my time at home - and also thinking more about the ways I want to continue to challenge myself and grow while in Japan. Refreshing my growth mindset, I suppose. 

I thought it would be fitting to close this post with the following quote - since it seems to so perfectly sum up our experiences at home.

“Home is people. Not a place. If you go back there after the people are gone, then all you can see is what is not there any more.” - Robin Hobb, Fool's Fate

Sun, clouds, and lots of love!

~Jaime