Final Impressions [of all of Japan]

Pictures mostly unrelated. They're just pretty.

Meiji Shrine, Tokyo

I started in Tokyo in June, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, ready to take on the world. I soon grew to love konbini soba, chicken nuggets with barbecue sauce, and tuna-mayo onigiri. Two months soon passed and I was pretty jaded to Japan. Not in a negative sense, but in a "this is daily life, dum-tee-dum" sense.

Morioka, Iwate-ken, Japan

Now we get to Morioka. Five months which were rather difficult as I had been here longer than the others, but I did get a few chances to slip away, particularly for the fall break, which was much needed to see a friend from back home.

Japanese Box Crab. Osaka Kaiyukan, Osaka, Japan

And maybe meet a few aquatic friends in Osaka as well.

As the months dragged on, coping became harder. My host family is made of angels but homesickness is no saint.

Hiraizumi, Iwate-ken, Japan

I guess in my current frame of mind with my return to America coming fast it's hard to say what I have learned and gained. It's easy to say "my Japanese is better" but the most important lessons I have learned abroad have  yet to make themselves known. Only time will tell.

Politics

My knowledge of Japanese politics only goes so far. Mostly avoiding the screaming trucks we encountered early on in our excursion. From what I'm told, my host mother is really close to some political candidate and I don't really know much. I'm assuming it's the guy on the poster in front of the inn, whom looks incredibly hopefuly.

We were told to avoid politics. So I do. Not much to say.