Aaron's Trip and Happy New Year!!!!

Happy New Year everybody!

So, my friend Aaron came for a couple weeks, and is currently on his plane back to New York. At least I hope so, because I left him in Tokyo earlier today and just kind of hoped he could find his way to the bus terminal. The word for his time spent here is...refreshing. Very refreshing. I like having my friends around, and realized how much I miss it. Aaah man, normal talk, normal comraderie, normal companionship - o.k, sorry, that last one is a little too much, but I miss my family and friends. I even miss my Dad and his grunting complaining about life. Now that's incredible. It's the one thing that I don't like about being in Japan, the fact that I'm here by myself. And though I have friends here, when they are of a different culture and wear that different cultural hat, I really am still by myself. It has nothing to do with them, there are some of the kindest people I have ever met here. It has everything to do with me.

You see, I must admit, I did come here to "find myself." It wasn't the only reason but it was a reason. You'd figure I would be beyond that stage by now, but I wasn't. And it's true, even if I don't like my American culture sometimes, or I don't like American people, (I still don't actually, in fact I probably like Japanese people, especially in my town, much more), I can't change the fact that I am sooooo American. Even if I intellectually don't agree with things, culturally, I am who I am, and who I am is clothed in American culture. What I find funny, how I talk to people, and a million other subtleties, it's all ingrained in those early years, maybe between 8 and 15, and I don't know how much more can change after that, no matter how imaginative you are.

Sooo, how much longer do I want to spend here? I think one more year is good, because it will give me ample time to figure out what I'm going to be doing once I get back, to achieve other goals I had in coming here, and to make more of an impact here that I can feel fulfilled with. I have done stuff here, like a Christmas event at the elementary and junior high school, but even that was something that they asked me to continue from the previous year. I still haven't planned anything major or made as much of an impact as I know I am capable of.

Lessee, the trip around Japan was awesome. Read Aaron's blog, I'm sure he will write all about it, www.aaronsong.com. We started off in Agematsu, then went to Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, back to Ise-shima, and then Tokyo and Mt. Fuji. I think I must have seen at least 3 million Japanese people. They weren't joking when they said that New Years is the busiest time for Japan. It was just ridiculous sometimes, there was no escape, people were everywhere. I liked Kyoto the best, just because it has some shrines that really fit the label of "epic," which became our criteria for what we wanted to see. But more on the travels later, it's late and after three days in a capsule hotel my bed is calling. This trip showed me a lot of things I won't get into here, but one of which is how important it is to get out of my town and travel. Travel is such a growing experience, it really forced me to get out of my comfort zone and learn about myself. Of course it is best with a friend, so Mykella, do it with a friend!! In my opinion, it is so much more rewarding that way.

Thanks to Koji, Steve and Sharon for adding to the rewardingness.

Much love.