Sayonara, 日本, for reals... :(

Well, it seems there was at least one casualty of my frenetic travels and mental paralysis: this blog post!! I just came across it today and I don't know why I didn't publish it before--it was all completed, with links and everything already done! Ah, well, it's just in time, sort of, for Father's Day. Enjoy!

- Miki

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Hey, Japan, it's been swell; thanks for the memories. With you I experienced great writing, great fun, great food, great friends, incomparable confusion (for better or worse), OIJ moments (also for better or for worse), and perhaps most valuable of all, the chance to connect with family in a way I never would have had the chance to do otherwise. It seems like it'd take a book (or a blog ;) ) to really sum up everything that's happened here and how I feel about my time here and leaving now. Suffice it to say, I've learned a lot (though, sadly, this is not evident in my Japanese language skills, though my French skills have never been better! Merci, les filles!).

One person deserves a very special mention though: my dad (aka DadEx; aka Bank of Dad; aka that super great guy that let me hang out at his fancy schmance hotel every month, even though it meant he had a roommate and someone mooching dinner and breakfast off him several times a month for the last four years).

Dad, you're great and I could not have handled this country for this long without your monthly visits and emotional support. Also, I couldn't have had any number of super amazing, one-of-a-kind, OWD (only with [my 日本人] dad) moments that you let me tag along for. To name just a few highlights: a split-second but forever memorable view of Mt. Fuji (why climb the thing when you can see this from the comfort of a warm hotel room??), hanging out with real maiko-san at a real ochaya (not this one, but similar idea) in Kyoto, great onsen in Hakone, silly onsen in Hakone (ramen-scented hot springs and fish that nibble on your feet, oh my!), and just all around good father-daughter quality time at izakaya, hanami in Chuo koen, .

Along the way, there have been so many other truly important people, too many to list and too many to worry about hurting should I forgot to mention them--you know who you are, my dears. So, to my brethren and sistren in Japan, I say to you, ハッピトレールズ！I'll miss you crazy kids!

The countdown continues

Life is harried and hectic at the moment, but the writing bug has bitten and I feel like jotting down a word or two.

It's been a while since my last international move, so I'd forgotten how quickly things begin to happen the closer I get to D-day (departure day). There are so many people to see, work to finish, loose ends to tie up--loose ends I didn't even realize or remember that I had rear their ugly heads seemingly out of nowhere. Still, time marches on (faster and faster!) and in the meantime I'm running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

Only increasing the sense of hecticness is the fact that I moved twice in September, finally settling in with all my junk (where did all this stuff come from??) with my friend New, who kindly let me set up in his extra room. I've been there since Friday and will be there until my real Japan departure in November.

New and I counted it up last night that, all in, I have only about 20 days left in Japan--that's including these days before I leave and the 10 days I'll have when I get back from backpacking 26 days in SE Asia. That time is gonna fly...

T-12 (to Thailand).