Fall brought chilly temperatures in Nagoya. Not nearly as chilly as back home, but much cooler than last year. Or so it seemed. Fall also brought with it the end of our time in Japan - and with that came a slew of thoughts, feelings, and changes. For those of you who know know me well, you know that change is not my favorite...and yet, I've gone through a lot of change in my life thus far. A lot of it by my own choosing too, I suppose. The last few months in Japan really showed me the difficulty that lies in the process of working up to a change - and not just in the actual change itself. And for us, not only were we leaving Japan - we were also leaving Cincinnati - and 'starting over' yet again...this time in Texas. I quickly found it difficult to sort out what thoughts and emotions were sparked by what aspect of the change - everything felt like a big ball of 'hugeness' that was impossible to sort out. On most days, my default was to ignore the 'what comes next' and focus on the 'what is happening in front of me.' Most of the time, I found that helpful; and, at other times, not so much. However, I know that it was all part of the journey. And with time, I will be able to look back on this change and transition with a totally new perspective - just like I am now able to do with my move and transition to Japan two years ago.And so, without more rambling from me, here's a recap of the happenings of our last few months in Japan!
~*Happenings*~
The Site of Reversible Destiny
Ever since I saw pictures from the kindergarten class' visit to The Site of Reversible Destiny, it was on my list of places to visit. The Site of Reversible Destiny is 'a created landscape containing a series of pavilions, undulating planes, shifting colors, and disorienting spaces that the artists presented to visitors as a place of purposeful experimentation.' Shusaku Arakawa and Madeline Gins believed that changes in bodily perception would lead to changes in consciousness - and they constructed this site so that visitors could challenge their bodies as a way to reverse their destinies.
The park was definitely interesting and actually somewhat dangerous to walk around at times - due to the uneven surfaces. While the entire experience did make me question the ways in which I perceive the world, I'm still trying to process the whole reversible destiny concept! In addition to this aspect of the park, visitors can also hike to a really beautiful waterfall too! Definitely a fun and interesting afternoon trip for all!
Trip to Korea - Our last 'international trip' before heading back to the US was a long-weekend trip to Seoul (South Korea) and the DMZ (North Korea). The weekend was full of adventures and food! Check out my Korea blog post for more details and pictures!
Evening Tea Ceremony (for Fall Harvest) - One of the last 'cultural items' on my 'To Do' list was to attend a formal Japanese tea ceremony. While many of my friends took classes on performing tea ceremony during their time here in Japan, it wasn't something that I was able to do. So, when an evening tea ceremony event popped up to celebrate tsukimi (moon viewing for fall harvest), I was excited to attend. The event was at the beautiful Shirotori Gardens in a traditional tea house. Because so many people attended, we weren't actually able to see the individuals perform the tea ceremony, but we were still able to take in the beautiful sights.
Weekend Trip to Yokohama - The fall brought several business trip for Kaz - both to the US and Europe. It's funny to think that during those weeks, I was able to handle life if Japan alone with no real issues. If you had suggested that idea to me a few years ago, I would have thought you crazy! Since he flew into Tokyo on the way home, I met him in Yokohama and we spent a few days exploring and enjoying Oktoberfest in another Japanese city. Check out my Yokohama post for even more about our adventures!
Anniversary - October brought our third anniversary. It's crazy to think how quickly time is flying - and also how much we've seen and done in those three years. We celebrated with a yummy shabu-shabu dinner at one of the first restaurants we ever ate at in Japan when we visited in November 2015.
Girl's Trip to Hakuba - In early November, Kim and I took a weekend trip to Hakuba. Since Hakuba tends to be a ski town, it was practically deserted. However, we were able to stay in a super awesome lodge with a Western kitchen! Plus, we got to take in some beautiful sights and foliage; enjoy an outdoor onsen to ourselves; and, relax! I'm so lucky to have made such a wonderful friend during my time in Japan!
Dad and Sherri's Visit - Take 2! Dad and Sherri came back to Japan for two weeks in November. This time, our trip consisted of visiting slightly 'less touristy' areas. Since they knocked out most of the major touristy locations last year. We spent more time exploring Nagoya - they even ventured out for a day on their own while Kaz and I were at work. And, our weekend trips took us to Nachi Falls, Koyasan, Nara, Hakone, and Tokyo. We stayed in many traditional ryokans - so dad and Sherri became experts at onsens (public baths), traditional Japanese meals, and sleeping on futons on the floor. The cold weather also made us realize just how amazing kotatsus are - especially since central heating does not exist in Japan! We really appreciated their long trek to see us in Japan - and enjoyed helping them to experience and enjoy even more of Japan!
CCEA Luncheon - For the past year, I have served on the leadership board of the Cross Cultural Exchange Association. Each year, the organization holds a holiday luncheon and raffle. All money raised is then donated to a local charity. This year we raised over $1,500 for the Children's Fund. While the event was a lot of work for all involved, it went off without a hitch! Attendees were also privy to an amazing geisha performance.
JLPT - N4 - As a motivator to continue my Japanese studies and a challenge to myself, I signed up to take the next level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. The test was definitely difficult and about twenty minutes into the exam, I realized that much of it was over my head. I think it was definitely a combination of not getting to study as much as I wanted to (these last few months were busier than I originally thought), not using conversational Japanese as much as I would have liked to, and just not having enough time. I realized that if the test was untimed, I would have probably done much better. Regardless of the result, I'm proud of all I've learned on this journey and I'm excited to continue this language learning adventure in some way when we return home.
Packing, Selling, Clean, and Goodbyes - As with any big move, the last few weeks tend to be full of cleaning, packing, selling...and, goodbyes! Although I didn't initially expect the 'goodbye process' to be so difficult for me, it definitely was. Check out my 'Goodbye Japan' post for a whole lot more on this process!
Trip to Kyushu - In order to take a break from the craziness of getting ready to leave Japan, Kaz and I took a four-day trip to the southern island of Kyushu. This trip was a nice opportunity to relax and to really enjoy the beauty of Japan. More about our adventures in a blog post coming soon. I'm still catching up on posts!
Christmas - The holiday season looked a little different for Kaz and I this year. We moved out of our apartment in the middle of December and spent the last ten days or so living in a hotel. Since Christmas day is not technically a holiday in Japan, we spent most of Christmas helping the movers pack up our belongings. We did take some time to enjoy Christmas dinner and the day after Christmas we went to see Broadway production of The Little Mermaid. It was definitely an interesting and fun experience to see a play entirely in Japanese. Luckily I was pretty familiar with the story ahead of time! :)
In our two years in Japan, we've tried 50 different flavors of Kit Kats. Some that were amazing - and some that were...not! For fun, we've rated them on a 1-10 scale. The ones that received a rating of 7 or higher were ones that we would eat again, if given the chance. Kaz rated 26 of the 50 as "7" or above; while I rated 22 of the 50 as "7" or higher. Our definite favorites included pistachio-raspberry, chocolate-mint, sake, and orange cocktail noir. Toward the middle of year two, it became much harder to find new flavors - as I think we had tried most of them! Hopefully future trips to Japan will allow us to add to our list!
The last few flavors included: nodo ame (cough drop flavor); ice cream flavor; and, daily indulgence - green tea/double berry.
~*Reflections - Victories, Sunny Moments, Challenges, Cloudy Moments...all in one!*~
It's hard to believe that this will be one of my last blog posts about our time in Japan. And, that any subsequent posts will be more about the adjustment process of repatriation than anything else. Looking back, these two years in Japan have both dragged on and flew by. They have been filled with moments of wishing I wasn't in Japan and, more recently, filled with moments of wishing I didn't have to leave. They have been filled with victories, failures, laughs, and a whole lot of tears. I've experienced some of my highest highs and also some of my lowest lows. And, I've done things I've never in a million years thought I would do. The biggest of those being - surviving two years in a foreign country. And truthfully, it wasn't just surviving (though some days it sure felt like it) - it was living, experiencing, exploring, accomplishing, and growing!
During our time in Japan, I've been lucky enough to visit 27 of its 47 prefectures (Japan's equivalent of states) and travel to 9 different countries (not counting Japan). I've met people from not only Japan, but also the UK, Australia, Scotland, Canada, France, China...and more. I've learned a new language, experienced a new culture, worked in a foreign country, formed lasting friendships, and called Japan my home. I've climbed mountains, eaten new foods, perfected the squatty potty, and even bathed naked in a public bath surrounded by strangers...on more than one occasion! The 'To Do' list that Kaz and I started when we first arrived has grown exponentially and still does not contain a quarter of the things we've done over these two years. And yet, as I sit here and think about all the 'cool things' we've done...and all the 'once in a lifetime' experiences we've had - I know that what I'm taking away from this experience is even bigger than that. It's not those tangible things - but the emotions and realizations. The frustration and humility of struggling to communicate; the joy of successfully accomplishing even the most mundane of tasks; the awareness that I'm a minority and the pressure that comes with feeling like I'm always being watched; the thrill in not knowing what the day or any experience will bring; the helpless and power of knowing that I am relying fully on another person to show me the way; the loneliness of being so far away from everyone and everything I knew up to this point; the comfort in realizing that kindness is truly a universal language; and, the powerful realization that I'm leaving Japan a different person than I arrived - that this experience has changed me in countless ways - some that I've have realized and some that I may not realize for years to come.
Before I end this post with some powerful quotes that seem to sum up this entire experience in ways that I cannot, I want to thank you all for reading this blog over the past two years. The support of our family and friends (old and new) have definitely kept us going - during both the sunny moments and cloudy moments of this journey! Although I was initially hesitant to 'put myself out there' in such a public way, I'm sure glad I did!
With love and complete gratitude people, places, sunny moments, and cloudy moments that filled these two years in Japan!
~Jaime
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