leaving isn't the hardest part...
...it's the goodbyes that inevitably come with them.
I've said so many goodbyes on this trip already. Granted, they've been offset by the number of hellos, but it never lessens the impact of realising that it'll be some time before catching up with people again. it never gets any easier, and i'm dreading some goodbyes that are coming up - but I wouldn't ever want to get used to any of them.
in other news, hitting a partial roadblock with my soon-to-begin american leg of the tour. checking in at osaka airport (itami) and being told that we can't check in for our transferring flight to boston just means more hassle on what is already a pretty tight transfer schedule. here's hoping it's only a slight hitch.
as for my (all too brief) time in japan itself, i can probably best sum it up by saying - same, same, but different. some things have changed dramatically - to the point that parts of tokyo i was familiar with are now unfamiliar again - while others have pretty much remained static - a chance to revisit old memories.
food, as always, is a joy, although i would want my language skill to improve on my next trip back (it's gone backwards somewhat since last time given the addition of rudimentary mando to my repetiore). unfortunately, some icons from last time are now (nearly) gone - hyaku-en stores for example are now a rarity, and i can't find a hot food vending machine ANYWHERE. seems like japan has gone backwards somewhat too...
not to fear. onwards to the land of the free and the home of the brave.
I've said so many goodbyes on this trip already. Granted, they've been offset by the number of hellos, but it never lessens the impact of realising that it'll be some time before catching up with people again. it never gets any easier, and i'm dreading some goodbyes that are coming up - but I wouldn't ever want to get used to any of them.
in other news, hitting a partial roadblock with my soon-to-begin american leg of the tour. checking in at osaka airport (itami) and being told that we can't check in for our transferring flight to boston just means more hassle on what is already a pretty tight transfer schedule. here's hoping it's only a slight hitch.
as for my (all too brief) time in japan itself, i can probably best sum it up by saying - same, same, but different. some things have changed dramatically - to the point that parts of tokyo i was familiar with are now unfamiliar again - while others have pretty much remained static - a chance to revisit old memories.
food, as always, is a joy, although i would want my language skill to improve on my next trip back (it's gone backwards somewhat since last time given the addition of rudimentary mando to my repetiore). unfortunately, some icons from last time are now (nearly) gone - hyaku-en stores for example are now a rarity, and i can't find a hot food vending machine ANYWHERE. seems like japan has gone backwards somewhat too...
not to fear. onwards to the land of the free and the home of the brave.