Epilogue: Back in the US

So, I have been back in the US for about three weeks now, and the transition has been progressing. It's definitely a change. Going into stores and being able to understand everything is weird, social interactions are a tad mysterious once again (What is the line? Am I going to far? Am I being too distant? Why is this so hard again?) Most of all, I miss the people that I met in Japan. I miss my friends. I miss my co-workers. Perhaps most of all, I miss my students. I loved being a teacher, and I loved connecting with my students. I am just a bit sad that it took me so long to be able to do so. It's not to say that I didn't connect with students early on--I had some impression on them--but that I feel I connected so much better later on in the year as I got more comfortable. There is not a day that goes by where I do not think of a student, either something funny that they did, or see something that one of them would enjoy, or who I would be teaching as I go to bed. Often I also think of my coworkers. I think of their warmth, I think of the kindness and their quirks. When I first got to Portland, I also thought of my co-worker Zoe a lot; because, after a few months of having her be the only tall, white woman in the entire city--despite my best efforts--for the first few days my brain assumed that everyone who fit that description. No matter where I went, it seemed as though I was being followed. Eventually (and thankfully) I got over that phase, but I definitely wasn't expecting it.
I am definitely going through a bit of reverse culture shock. Literacy is a staggering accomplishment, and being able to overhear conversations is superb. However, I have noticed that rarely it is worth the effort. I find it incredibly stressful to be surrounded by many people, especially people that I don't know. Also, the weather is a bit...different than what I'm used to. As of this moment, I'm used to hot temperatures, soaking humidity, and consistent weather. I'm now in the land of high(ish) temperatures, relatively low humidity, and weather so malleable it might as well be a variety show. So, while everyone else is sweating, I'm fine. While everyone is talking about how humid it is, I don't notice. And whenever I go outside, my instinct to bring a shell actually serves me well. I missed Oregon weather, but I do with that it was just a tad warmer.

So, I haven't posted in quite some time. I am still writing up my Obon week post (pictures help me remember), but there are about two weeks between the end of Obon, my last few days in Japan, and then three weeks between landing and now. So, what happened between then and now? Well, first off those last two weeks were some of the most difficult in quite a while. As an individual, I tend to be distant from my emotions, and when I feel sadder emotions I tend to shut down a little bit. I can also sometimes overcompensate, ignore my emotions, and float atop the sea of troubles with a smile on my face. I did cry that week, many times, but I am afraid that I could not quite get across the depth of my feelings. I adore my students--both those that I no longer taught and those that I was currently teaching--and it saddens me both that I am no longer teaching them and that I might never see them again. I received many gifts (thank you all for those, by the way. I am sorry that I did not write my thank you cards before I left) and have so many friends...there is a phrase in Spanish. "Somos abajo la misma luna" [we are under the same moon]. It means that no matter where any of us are, we always have a connection. To all of my students, I am sorry that I had to leave so soon. I wish that I could have stayed with you longer, but it was not to be...
I had a few days in Japan after my last day of teaching. I had an awesome farewell party (thank you everyone who came--including my amazing Willamette friends who are studying abroad and having a great time--you are all amazing). I got to see a few students. One student and his family took me sightseeing to a temple. I had a great time, and it was a beautiful temple. Afterwards, we all went out to a sweet shop. They bought me a snow-cone in the shape of a chick.

This is a mango-cheese flavored snow-cone. It might sound really odd, but it was delicious. I will also take the time to mention that, in terms of interests, I had an odd set. I enjoy the more adult pursuits of philosophy, science, and having high brow discussions of the minutia contained within the greatest of speeches, soliloquies, and literature. Shakespeare and Plato are my friends, and I have explored the swishes and curves of Kantian reason. Secondly, however, are my other sets of interests. Namely, video games, movies, and show tunes. And when I say video games, I'm not talking about those M-rated shoot fests of doom and foul expression. I instead refer to the joys of Mario, Link, and Pokemon. Over in Japan, I might have also discovered a mobile game called, "Puzzles and Dragons" which (all grammar aside) is insanely popular over there and almost unheard of here. Nothing lets one connect better with a student than sharing their interests, even if I'm not nearly as good as they are. So, while enjoying my snow-cone, I partook in Pokemoning, Puzudura-ing (The Japanese term for the game), and the time sink known as Minecraft. I don't play Minecraft, because I have enough things taking up my free time. However, it is fun to see what other people have made.
I spent the evening with my co-worker and my successor. We had a lot of fun talking. As I had no apartment (I'll be brief: I had to move out of my apartment so that my successor could move in, and my temporary apartment--by my choice--only lasted until the day after my last day) I stayed there for the next few days. The first day, I spent the morning repacking (again) and shipping more boxes. My former coworker, and travel buddy, Zoe and I then went for one last adventure. We went into Tokyo and went to a gold fish art installation. It was exactly what it sounds like. An artist had created glass tanks with pretty lights and filled them with goldfish. It was really pretty, though the tanks might have been too small for those poor little fishies. After that, we returned to Omiya, and had dinner with one of my favorite students. We all had fun--the other two got a little tipsy--and enjoyed my last night in Japan. Such a happy night in the world.
The next day, my last in Japan for this time, I repacked one more time, and was off. The trip to Narita airport was the easiest trip with my luggage of this entire odyssey. I flew air Canada, and had a fairly enjoyable trip--though it was a little sad (OK, a lot sad)--and had a brief layover in Calgary. It had snowed. It was cold. I was in a t-shirt. Not cool, Canada, not cool. The last trip was quick. I was sitting next to a Chinese woman who had lived in Canada for seven years. Her English was really good, and she was a nurse. When she heard that I had been in Japan for a year...let's just say that there are some issues there stemming from WWII. I'm not going to wade into it, but lets just say that there are some strong opinions on both sides of the sea of Japan.
And, that was the trip home. Quick, easy, and (mostly) painless. Since getting home I have started unpacking, handed out gifts, seen family, hung out with family, and reclaimed my (rather rare) part time job. The coolest things so far were going to the Oregon coast and going to the zoo. My poor dog is getting old, so we didn't get a lot of time at the coast, but it was still fun while we were there. The weather started out gloomy and windy, but by mid-day it was bright and sunny. Coincidentally, that was also when we were in traffic driving back. Talk about interesting timing.

Windy

Clouds of doom

Those are the clouds of doom on the horizon. They followed us on the way back home, at least to the coastal mountain range. A few days later (as mentioned) we went to the zoo. It was a cool, cloudy day, and when we arrived the sea of ankle biters was receding from the zoo. It was time for a nap, time to go home, time for the big (relatively speaking...ish) people to rule. It was the perfect day to go to the zoo. The animals were active (the tiger was being a whinny little twit), and the rest of the animals were as active as I have ever seen.
A few final things before I go for the night. First, I have worked at the job. It was temp work for about an hour...and I was nervous. I don't know why. I have done this job on and off since 2007, but I was constantly not at ease. I was worried that someone was going to interact with me, and that I wouldn't be able to help them, or know what to say, or would make a mistake and let people down. I didn't feel this way before Japan, but I think that it might be a result of my time there. In other words, reverse culture shock. Still, it was a lot of fun, so I should get better as time goes on.
The last thing that I want to talk about are my staff gifts. First (and perhaps best) was the book of letters. All of the staff members wrote me a kind letter (I miss you all a lot). The other thing I received from my co-workers was a yukata. A yukata, for the uninformed, is a summer kimono. This particular kind of yukata is called a jinbei. Here I am in it, with my dog, in my jinbei and my Japanese sandals.

Yay summer.

Anyway, that was my life in Japan. On the whole, I am glad that I did it. It was really hard at the start, and it was absolutely amazing at the end. I learned a lot about myself, about what I need and don't need, and how I value things in life. I have grown, and learned, and I wish it could have been longer. But some things in life we have to accept. And so, this has been another adventure in the austentatious. If you like it, tell your friends; if you hated it, tell your enemies; and if you don't care either way, then tell everyone. Good night.