So gather up your jackets, move it to the exits
I hope you have found a friend
Closing time
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end
-Closing
Time by Semisonic
The tickets have not been purchased or the paperwork filed, but I have
decided I will be leaving Japan the first part of May. As they say, all good things must come to an
end, and after almost two years here, it is about time to say goodbye.
It wasn’t an easy decision – there is still so much I want to see and do. I have fallen in love with this country and
the idea of leaving is difficult to accept.
Riding the train, walking down the street, shopping for groceries, I
think about all the little moments I will miss.
Watching the clouds snake like smoke around the mountains makes me sad
to leave such natural beauty. Clicking
through news articles from home about racism, violence, and politics makes me
long to stay here where I feel safe. And
spending the afternoon in Namba, Umeda, Tennoji, or any crowded neighborhood,
watching the sea of humanity ebb and flow around me, makes me cringe to return
to a quiet, rural existence. The people,
the food, the culture – I have loved every second of my time here and part of
me really does not want to leave.
But another part of me says it is time.
There will always be things left undone, but now it is time for the next
big adventure. It is time to process all
the experiences from these two years. To
take stock of the changes I have gone through physically and mentally. To apply what I have done and learned. This was always meant to be a journey of self-discovery
and growth. I feel I have achieved that
in spades. I have gathered the pieces,
now it is time to put the puzzle together.
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