RE: Sorry this is kind of a late response...I'm so busy with school that I hardly ever get to check my travel blog! But I'm glad this helped. It's hard to leave, especially when you're just getting used to your life there. But the main thing that made me happy about coming home was the people. Honestly, I don't really see myself living in TN or my hometown, and living in Japan helped me realize that I want more than a small town life. But my family and the friends I have back home make me happy! So even though I was losing one thing, I was also gaining something else. Hopefully you have people like that to go home to because it makes it so much easier to transition. And it took me a long time to get accustomed to my life back home, so don't get too discouraged if at first you feel really homesick for Japan and feel like you made the wrong decision. Good luck!
Thankyou! This blog was a great read. I'm currently preparing to come home, and going through the madness of packing, and wondering if I made the right decision to leave. Reading about your fondness for and memories of Japan, while still feeling happy to be home is reassuring. I also completely agree with you about the growing up, maturing and changing effect that living here alone has on a person. I could never see myself moving out, in the conventional sense, yet somehow I moved overseas...to this beautiful country. Any advice for getting in the going home headspace?
Hirakata I`ve lived near Hirakata for over 25 years and there are some really amazing places to have lunch or dinner, even on a small budget. Also, there are really nice bike paths all the way to Osaka, Kyoto, Arashiyama and Izumiohashi. These are bike paths that for the most part run along rivers.
thanks! i'm glad you all enjoy my blog! haha you must tell jeans-too-tight guy that i said hi if you see him! no i'm not at gaidai anymore, i was only there for the spring semester of 2008.
i hope you enjoy okinawa!
hi i thoroughly enjoyed your blog and pics from okinawa as i am going there soon too! i'll go to the island you went to perhaps... and hopefully run into jeans-too-tight guy *crosses my fingers*
btw, i guess you're not at gaidai no more are you? i teach gaidai students now at a gakkusei mansion. small world o.O
woooooooo i didnt notice that u already wrote a dialy!!
its sooo fun to read this!! u described our crazy day perfectly!!!
by the way, i complain less now....haha
hamster! you so have to post a picture of her wearing it, and get the rest of the animal friends too!!
youre a very tidy person, excellent trait to have!
Wow i love mos burger much more than Mcdonalds..
u know what, we call Þ¯É for Mcdonalds. thats how people call it in Osaka.
and whenever u order beer a DVKplease say j~a FqD
its common way to order a beer!haha
re: thanks! yeah i guess i have an obsession with taking photos...
the banana kit kat was good, and the sakura kit kat really tasted like an actual flower (and smelled like one too). it's an interesting taste, hard to describe...
Correct.. Yes you would be correct in assuming it means "tons".
"Tonnes" is how they spell it in the UK and France, this is actually the original way of spelling it.
haha its funny that ur roommate is an amrican...
its always great that u get neat roommate...
me and Jan...never happen...haha
anyway, i wanna talk to u many things happening to me, and wanna know whats going on u!!!!
u know what!!!!! takoyaki and okonomiyaki are the best local food from our area!!! when i read this article, my stomach was crazy...haha i need to eat my food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give me some!!xamena!!
xamena~~~~~!!!!!! this one makes me happy so much bc Japan seems really great place for u!!!!!! i was worrying about food or transportation there...but having bike is such a funny idea!!! and i hope i can meet ur friend when i get back!! also u can talk to me fluent japanese!! i wish i could hung out with u last winter vacation!!
I got the first comment! so it seems like you are having lots of fun there in japan!! i am glad you enjoy being in japan. and i like looking your blog since i can see some places i have never been. so please keep uploading! anyways, i hope you keep enjoying japanese culture and people!
Hey I'm Xamena and I'm a junior at Maryville College. This spring, I'm getting away from Maryville and going out on my own for the first time...in another country! I'm studying at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka, Japan and I can't wait to share all my experiences with everyone!... full info
xamena
Xamena Bangash
RE:
Sorry this is kind of a late response...I'm so busy with school that I hardly ever get to check my travel blog! But I'm glad this helped. It's hard to leave, especially when you're just getting used to your life there. But the main thing that made me happy about coming home was the people. Honestly, I don't really see myself living in TN or my hometown, and living in Japan helped me realize that I want more than a small town life. But my family and the friends I have back home make me happy! So even though I was losing one thing, I was also gaining something else. Hopefully you have people like that to go home to because it makes it so much easier to transition. And it took me a long time to get accustomed to my life back home, so don't get too discouraged if at first you feel really homesick for Japan and feel like you made the wrong decision. Good luck!