That evening, my host family took me out to some of their favorite ramen spots that we hadn’t yet visited.
The next day, I worked my final shift at my job, which was one of the most heartwarming experiences of my time in Japan. So many of my regular customers and friends came to visit and see me off, and it really made me realize how many close connections I had managed to make thanks to my time at work. I’ll always treasure my experience opening up SILO Coffee near Nakano Station. After work, I took the train out to my pottery teacher’s studio, where there was a small farewell party for me. I gave my teacher some money to send over my final pieces of pottery once they were finished, and they actually just arrived in America two weeks ago! These are some of my favorite pieces of pottery, and they will always keep a special place in my heart.
On my final day, the cherry blossoms had just begun to bloom, so I took a solo tour around Tokyo to try and soak in all of the sights. I’m so thankful that I was able to see the cherry blossoms around the city, even if it was on my last day. I went out for one final dinner with my host family, and in the morning, it was time to head to the airport. My family insisted on driving me down to the terminal, and I could tell that they were barely holding back tears. Luckily, we’ve kept in constant contact in the months since my return, and we’re looking forward to our reunion, hopefully in 2021!
This might sound like a sad situation, and it’s true that I would have given anything to stay for those final months in Japan, but it’s hard for me to stay down when I think about how overwhelmingly positive my time abroad has been.
