"Time to Say Goodbye"

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." -Dr. Seuss

This is a compilation of
my goodbyes.
{I said goodbye to my Chocolate apartment too, but there aren't any pictures of that.}

Goodbye to the Kawamoto family.

I'll always have a home in Japan
because of you, Akemi.

You feed me just as many goodies as my mama does.
...Boy, it sure seems like I'm always eating, here in Japan.

Oh, guess I am.

Goodbye, Kakogawa Ward.
You showed me the same Gospel I grew up with
from a refreshing perspective.

Goodbye, my Aussie gals.

You sent me messages
asking me how my classes went,
warning me about weather changes,
inviting me out to explore Japan with you.
Lauren, Kat, Vera,
I'm coming for Christmas one year.
Be ready.

The "Ghost Trees",
so rightfully named by Lauren.

The spirits of fallen samurai
wander amongst the shadows
of the illuminated Arashiyama bamboo forest...
Or maybe it's just the stray cats.

I'm going to step forward,
gathering all that I learned from
studying abroad,
and become the wonderful person
I dream to be.

My little life

will become a big one.

You're in my heart forever, 日本.

For now,

Sayonara, Japan. 

{♪ "Departure at Dawn" via Cecil Corbel}

"Holy Night: 聖し、この夜"

The ladies in my Relief Society

rescheduled their Sacrament Meeting performance

so I could sing this sacred song with them.

Because I'm flying back to America

in time to celebrate Christmas

with my loved ones.

Silent Night.

{MP3 Download Here}

{Image via Felicia}
{Instrumental via Liahona}

"Sports Festival 体育祭"

"Don't you wonder what clouds taste like?"

Japan has a thousand ways

to celebrate life.

One of them comes every autumn:

Sports Festival.

We breathed pure energy that day

not air.

From relays to tug-of-wars to war reenactments

our spirits were high

and we only wanted more.

A hearty bento lunch

for a hearty runner.

{'Cause I ran so hard in the teacher's relay... Of course I'm serious...}

After lunch

all the school teams

{basketball, kendo, volleyball, and so forth}

paraded around the field

before the action began

once again.

The war reenactment

was my favorite event.

Possibly because it was just so...

Japanese-y.

GANBARE!

OTTO!

Put some ice on it, soldier

and remount your horse!

Before the final relay

the 9th grade boys

stacked themselves into pyramids

for our enjoyment.

America needs a Sports Festival, I'm convinced.

You know what?

I'll do them with my children.

{Taking notes, future husband?}

They're so much more fun

than regular ol' P.E. classes.

GANBARE!

{Music via GReeeeN}

"Mountain Barbecue"

"Ah, summer. What power you have to make us suffer and like it."

-Russell Baker

Forget the beach,

we celebrated Sea Day in the mountains

as a Church family.

I stepped out of the car,

took in a deeeep breath of mountain air,

and felt at home at once.

Japanese barbecues are a little different
than American ones.
It isn't only the food that's foreign,
but also the way the barbecue fires
are kept alit with little paper fans.

Part of the journey in a foreign country
is learning how to live with foreign creatures.
I killed my first cockroach last night, under the sink.
{The sign says: "Watch for pit vipers. -Takasago City"}

The mountains were so inviting,
I left the smokey barbecues behind
and climbed into the forest
to find some 妖精 fairies.

The mountains are full of magic, after all,
no matter where you are in the world.

{Music from the gorgeous 借りぐらしのアリエッティsoundtrack by Cecile Corbel}

"If You Give a Mouse a Cookie..."

"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt."-Margaret Atwood

One day at school,I had 7 hours of nothing to do.Well, besides my homework, but pffft.So, I told the staff I was taking a walkand headed down the street to the post office.

But then I saw the Family Martacross the streetand had to get an ice cream.

Which led to spotting a very green,very grassy hillnearby.

And the next thing I knew,I was climbing the hilland crunching along the gravely pathof the Greater Pond of Kakogawa{Kako Ooike 加古大池}.

I didn't take out my camerauntil the stroll was almost over,because I was practically floating in the cloudsthe entire way.But I'll go backand show you all of it sometime.

{"Clair de Lune" via Claude Debussy}

"The Very Quiet Apartment"

My Chocolat Apartment

is now

my Very Quiet Apartment,

a change I knew

would bring back the long-battled

homesickness.

Can you all just come here and live with me, please?

Is a month next week tomorrow NOW too short of notice?

{Image via Felicia}

{Music via Yoko Kanno}

"Cookie Dough Brain"

"If it weren't for electricity, we'd all be watching television by candlelight."

-George Globol

Today, I'm in one of those moods

where I laugh at just about anything.

I blame the chocolate chip cookies

the Church members and I made today.

Because, well,

I can.

Foreign chocolate must have,

like,

alcohol in it

or something.

Anyways.

Behold the ward missionaries

in all their purple, frilly glory.

Men who can cook go far in life.

No, it's true.

Nestle's recipe

minus Nestle's chocolate chips.

The elders' recipe

minus, uh . . .

my teeth.

*NOM*

And while we're at it,

I might as well showcase

some fabulous-looking

Japanese sweets.

{Though, sadly,

they did not taste as yummy as they look.}

Oh, but just look how pretty.

*sigh*

Anyone have a remedy for

a case of giggles?

Mine won't go away,

no matter what I think of.

Then again,

that's probably okay. ;)

{Music via Caro Emerald}