Sakura Season!

Okkaaayy. Trying to get back into the grove of things.

So yesterday I went for a jog in the first time in forever. I was unsure how long/far I would be able to go for, since I haven't jogged since last summer, but I surprised myself and was able to jog a whole mile! I also went jogging today and ended up jogging my fastest mile yet!(?) Hopefully I'll be able to keep it up while I'm here.

At around 2 yesterday I went with my host family to look at apartments/places to live in the Yoyogi Uehara area since it seems like my host family will be moving at the beginning of May (but who knows since my host family changes their mind so often haha). I honestly don't want to move at all. But the area was pretty nice, and I could come to like it a lot I guess if we do move there. I'll miss Jingumae a lot, but it isn't too too far from the new place at least (though it wouldn't be free to explore the area anymore...)

After lunch I went to Yoyogi Park by myself to see the sakura blossoms. The weather was so nice, and the sakura were beautiful! While walking I got hit on by a Japanese guy who was walking next to me (LOLOL). He was pretty nice/not creepy so I talked to him for a while, but I made up some excuse and left since I didn't want it to get awkward...lol so random since Japanese people usually don't just up and talk to strangers.

After that I did a bit of shopping and came back home. Still have a lot of organizing, etc. to do...

Today I also went to a free art exhibition in Omotesando (like 10 minutes from my house) that was really cool. It was by a photographer named Natsumi Hayashi. Here is her website: http://yowayowacamera.com/
the exhibit was small, but pretty cool!

Back in Tokyo.
Saw some sakura blossoms today; it was a lot of fun!
Also went restaurant hopping with the host family <3
It feels good to be back.
Hopping to skype with people in the next few days/when I get everything together!

Waiting at the Airport

Waiting at the Incheon airport in South Korea. These past two weeks were incredibly amazing. I'll probably won't get a chance to write about it in the near future, or maybe I will since I still have two weeks until school starts.
I became really close with most of my Japanese friends who came with us. Before leaving I thought that we would probably be sick of each other after being together for two straight weeks. But man was I wrong. I feel so close to them and we made so many inside jokes and I can't wait to hang out with them when I get back to Japan.
It's springtime there now and the sakura flowers are blooming. I can't wait to see them! It was so cold in Seoul. But I had an amazing time. Eating, drinking, clubbing, shopping, and some sight-seeing.
And oh man Cebu. What an experience. I never thought I would get to go to the Philippines. I'm so glad I went. There were moments were I felt pure bliss, pure happiness. It was amazing. I'll never forget those memories. And island hopping. WE WENT ISLAND HOPPING! Such a wonderful vacation!~
But excited to be heading back to Tokyo!!!

Back in Tokyo!~

Wow, what a crazy day. What a crazy few days haha.

It feels so good to be back in Tokyo. I feel like I'm home. The night bus was...well wasn't fun. I barely got any sleep; 2-3 hours at most (a 10 hour ride by the way). Got in to Tokyo around 6am. Since my luggage was heavy/I was tired/I only live about 15 minutes from Shibuya station (where we arrived) I took a taxi home. I thought my host family was still asleep when I got in, but my host dad was either awake/woke up when I came back and told me おかえり or "welcome back," which made me feel like I was home again.

I did some unpacking and then fell asleep until 8:30ish when I decided it was time to get up/could hear that everyone was up. At first I was a bit nervous to go into the living room and talk to my host parents since it had been so long, but once we started talking it felt like I never left. I told them a bit about Shimane and they told me a bit about their last month. Things had actually been a bit rough for them/still are. There was some drama that went down at their company, and my host dad's dad became more senile/hard to deal with. Actually the today was mainly spent figuring out what to do with my host dad's dad. He had spent some time in an old people's home, but hated it/felt paranoid staying there.

A lot happened today, but the short version is that I had brunch with my host mom and host brother, played baseball with them in the park since the weather was nice, took it easy at the apartment for a bit/played some more with my host brother/had an afternoon nap/avoided that crazy wind/pollen storm that was going on outside, had pasta for lunch (ate breakfast at around 10, lunch at around 3, I was dying haha), played Life for a bit, picked up my host dad's dad and had dinner, talked and drank a lot, came back and watched some baseball, took a wonderful shower, and am now trying to figure out what I want to bring to the Philippines and Korea.

It feels so great to be back in Tokyo. At first it was a bit of a culture shop being surrounded by tall buildings and fashionable shops and people. But I'm so glad to be back for a bit before I travel. I'm not sure what's going to happen with my host family and my host dad's dad (we might end up moving) but  whatever happens I think it will work out in the end. I really love my host family here; they feel like a second family and make me feel like I am really a part of their family. It was great to catch up and it felt so nice to be able to easily communicate. It also felt really great to realize that I was missed a bit. My host dad told me that things seemed to brighten up again since I have come back. And it was so cute to see how glad my host brother is to have me back. We played a lot today and he always wanted to be around me whether we were at dinner or at home.
I'm glad to be back!~
I promise to write more about Shimane after my travels!

Even though Im exhausted and glad to be going back to Tokyo (on the bus now) I was sad to leave my host family here. They really did so much for me. Last night my host sisters baked me a thank you and goodbye cake. And as I was leaving today they gave me gifts and cards. I also got to play volleyball and badminton with my host sisters. I wish the whole time I was here could have been like today. I feel like I should have tried harder, even though I was tired a lot or wasn't sure how they felt about me. I don't know. I hope I can keep in contact with them. I wish I could repay their kindness. Looking forward to the Philippines! Time for a vacation !

Goodbye Shimane

Wow. This month went by so fast; tomorrow is my last day here. I'm so ready to go back to Tokyo though. I've been ready to go back the whole time. Which isn't to say I didn't enjoy it here or have a bad time. Working at the schools here was such an amazing experience. I got to interact with some of the cutest and smartest kids I have ever met. I also got to experience what it would be like to work in a Japanese school. I never thought I would enjoy it as much as I did. And my host family here was so nice. They took me to so many places and did so much for me. We didn't get as close as I wanted to be though, and for some reason I never really felt completely like myself here. There were also times were it was really hard to communicate. Times were I wanted to converse, and I could tell they wanted to converse too, but it was a struggle to find something to talk about. Which could be incredibly exhausting. In the end I'm just exhausted I think.

I think part of it was just culture shock. Daito and Shimane in general is such a different place than Tokyo. My lifestyle here was completely different. In Tokyo I was used to having more control over what I did with my days. Here I had something planned almost every day. Today was the only day I didn't actually go somewhere with my host family or have work. I had wanted to explore the area by myself a bit, at least talk a walk by myself around the neighborhood. That never happened. I guess a part of me missed having time completely to myself. And I missed my Tokyo host family and my friends back in Tokyo or on other programs as well. I missed the city itself. I never expected to be Tokyo homesick, but I was. I fell in love with the city. The bustling crowd of people, the neon lights and neighborhoods, the high stimulation. It's going to be so hard to leave Tokyo in August.

I also got a bit homesick for my South Bend home. I had a lot of time to think here; almost too much time to think. And I eventually started thinking about home and my loved ones back in America. I especially thought a lot about last summer. I realized I will never have a summer like that again...

I also realized today that this will be the first time leaving somewhere I've lived for an extended period of time without the certain knowledge that I will one day come back. Which is a bit sad and scary. I may never see any of these people or these places again. I guess that's just life though.

Anyway, as I sort through this mess of feelings, in the end I'm so glad I came here. I'm so glad to be going back to Tokyo. And I'm so glad to be traveling to the Philippines and Korea with some great friends. I have been really lucky in my life so far and I am sincerely grateful. And I look forward to the rest of my time in Japan.

Hope everyone is health and happy.

:)