The Reunion

I started writing this on saturday and im finishin this now.
Douzo
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Yesterday i went to tokyo to spend time with my host family. Im still here. Ami, my host sister, is right next to me clickin away on her cellphone (she doesnt part with that thing).

We had a great day walking around Machida, the town we live in, and doin some powershoppin and just having sisterly time together. It was great.

I also met up with one of my good friends. Who no matter what can lift my spirits and always make me smile. Im glad Paul was in tokyo the same time I was and even better in Machida.

I met up with him in the morning around 10. It was supposed to be 9:30 but i had some technical difficulties with my alarm clock, ie, i didnt set it. We talked about our travels during the winter vacation and laughed about the last time we ate together. He took me out to lunch for my birthday. Sweet boy.

Im so glad i was able to see him. Because not only was it a reunion of seeing him, it was a reunion of feelin back to how i was in college. Those old feelings of being back in the states, at school, at japanese class, laughing and making jokes with Paul came back and it was such a warm feeling. It was like the puzzles came together and i felt whole again. Paul knows me. I know Paul. We have memories together. I dont have to explain things in the past cause he was there. Just makes things a lot easier for me.

Anyways, im def gonna make a trip to gifu to see him. But he has to come to iwaki.

I miss my friends from my school. So much history together. And it seems like our ties are getting stretched the longer i stay in Japan. I miss the advice they would give me, especially on boys. I miss the random outings we would take. I miss how we would drive back just to see what we thought we saw, scandals, scandals.

Another reunion was the feeling of having a family around. We went for okonomiyaki today and it was nice. Ate with everyone, laughed together. They even made fun at me when i thought i had the bird flu when it was really a common cold. I dont think they will ever forget that episode. I was cryin in the hospital waiting room, thinking about how i only have so much to live and that i wont be able to say goodbye to my mom. You see, i thought i was dying. And although they made fun of me, it was full of love. Even though my japanese family is much different from my American family, i know that love is always there and will always be there, even though i never heard them say it to me. I know we all feel it. It was another great, heart warming feeling. Just sitting down, runnin my fingers through chappy (the doggie) hairs and watchin tv. Listening to my host sister ramble about something she read in an email. Watchin my host mom sitting at the dinner table, reading. So simple, but its what i needed. That family setting.

And even though im back now to my cold and lonely apartment, im lucky enough to say that i can go and be with my family anytime i want to. Its something that im grateful for. Something that i would never give up.

I even got money for the new year. lucky me.

It was a good reunion of all sorts. People, emotions and memories.