Mata Ne

Winding down on our time here in Japan, and I cannot believe how fast it has flown by, and somehow it also feels like we have been here for a month! Time is a funny thing.

Last day adventures with my buddies! Throughout the trip I had two little "Flat Stanleys" if you will, and I think they enjoyed their time just as much as I did!

Our last morning in Kyoto, Qwadeyza and I went to the Higashi Honganji Temple by our hostel, and had a delightful time despite the rainy start to the day. We carried our shoes around in a plastic bag and circled around the temple, examining the handiwork that went into this masterpiece of a temple, and we especially enjoyed the walkway where they had displays regarding the making of the temple, which was quite a process. From going up into the forests to retrieve lumber and cut it down and bring it back all while trying to avoid avalanches. Going to all these temples has really helped me understand the religion, in this case Buddhism, but also life centuries ago. When they were constructing these temples, they didn't have any grand machinery-just man power, and a few slabs of wood and stone to help haul materials around. Japan has such a rich history, especially regarding the Tokugawa shogun stretch of rule and being able to see the history throughout the trip (and not just read about it) has been very rewarding and educational.

After a final train ride to Narita, we make it to our traditional Japanese hotel we are staying in and it could not have been a more perfect way to end the trip. I really enjoyed our last night together as a group, and although dinner challenged my taste buds ( Han Sensei, I know eel is your favorite but that was something else) our final reflection and thoughts about what we learned got to me a little bit. We did a lot while we were in Japan, and to be honest I am still processing most of it. This summer is a whirlwind, and I wanted to make sure that I was taking the time to be present and attentive to the adventures happening right in front of me. This trip has challenged me in more ways than one and I could not be more grateful for that. I'm glad that us girls were able to have a final slumber party together, and not only that but we took a plunge- literally- and participated in a traditional hot spring bath. Together. Talk about taking collectivism to a whole new level! But here, it’s not awkward or weird, its cleansing, and liberating. And to be fair, in some ways it was. Although that was probably the most uncomfortable I have been for quite some time, but when in Japan, right?

Me and my gals just before our hot spring experience! We loved the traditional pajamas!

After a fantastic slumber party and a traditional Japanese breakfast (no eel this time!), a few of us walked to the temple next to our hotel and took the morning to explore it. Bailey and I took turns randomly shouting right and left to decide which path we would go down. This went on for about an hour and a half/ two hours (leaving time to get lost of course!) and finding all these little nature nooks and trip reflecting made me think about how much I was going to miss traveling around the magnificent country of Japan. I already know I am going to have reverse culture shock when I go home. I have gotten so used to how things are done here, and I have immensely enjoyed learning and becoming a part of this culture, even if it has only been two weeks.

Although I learned a lot during my time in Japan, I also feel like I am coming away with more questions than answers, not only about how they live, but how we live back in the states and about me as well, and my identity as an American, as a student, and even just as me. Yes, this was a short-term trip, but it was extremely intense and eyeopening, and that type of experience has an impact, whether it was a couple weeks or a couple months. This has been one of the most rewarding and life changing adventures, and I was so grateful to be apart of it! Signing off until my next adventure!