Ten Days

 

     And so it now comes to this… three hundred and sixty-five days down to a final ten.  I really don’t know whether to describe the past year as long or not.  In a sense, with all the lessons I’ve learned, all the realizations I’ve had, and all the experiences I went through, the  past year feels like a lifetime.  But now, counting down the last ten days of my stay abroad, I could hardly believe how fast all those days flew by, giving the impression that the past year has been so fleeting and hence, too short.

     My airline ticket voucher arrived yesterday.  And reading my name and the final flight details on black and white, it dawned on me that I am truly coming home.  It was a feeling of mingled elation and wistfulness.  This would be my final week of classes and I’d be saying goodbye to everyone.  I’m surely going to miss a lot of things from my brief sojourn here in Japan.

     I remember a conversation I’ve had with James a few weeks back, when I told him that autumn has finally settled in.  He asked me if the leaves were starting to fall, and I said no.  The leaves start falling by mid-November, and I would no longer be in Japan to witness that.  I told James that seeing the autumn colors in all their flaming glory would be something that I would miss.  He responded with a sad emoticon, and then I told him that I’d rather miss all the autumns Japan has to offer, than to spend any more time missing him.

     And nothing holds all the more true.  I have missed James, my family, and my friends beyond belief.  Even the littlest, seemingly insignificant things grew in meaning and importance during my time away.  I am happy to have taken the opportunity to have my immersion program here in Japan.  But I am even more happy now that it’s almost over.

     I am finally coming home…