Today is my last full day here in Japan. My classes are over, my final exam is taken, and all that remains today is a closing ceremony and farewell party. After that I intend the rest of the day leisurely with my host family. (Most of my things are already packed as I had to send my large suitcase via delivery service to Narita Airport in Tokyo on Tuesday. Though I’ve had to live on the bare minimum since then, it’s nice to not worry about packing today).
Tomorrow morning I will be leaving on the 7:00 AM train from Hakodate, and thus will begin a 30 hour journey to get back to Logan Airport in Boston. (Oh fun…) (But I am looking forward to watching movies in English on the plane).
There will be lots more blog posts to come once I’m home since there’s still a lot I just haven’t had the chance to post about but intend to. But I figured I would make this an actual timely post.
As my time left on this side of the world has dwindled, I’ve been thinking about things I’m going to miss here in Japan. But, of course, at the same time, there are lots of things I’m looking forward to at home and a few things I won’t miss about Japan.
Things I’m Going to Miss About Hakodate, Hokkaido
- Onigiri
- Milk tea
- Being able to walk or take public transport wherever I need to go
- Practicing Japanese conversation every day
- The occasional times the band at the high school next door stops making random noise and gets together to play some music like the Mario theme song or the James Bond theme song
- Ume boshi (sour plums)
- Sushi (delivery, kaiten, and just really fresh, delicious sushi in general)
- Squid
- Ramen shops
- Heated toilet seats
- Ofuro
- Meeting random friendly cats on my walk to school
- Running around Goryokaku Park and seeing water lilies, fish, and turtles in the moat
- Black sesame soft cream
- Green tea soft cream
- Hakodate milk soft cream
- Getting to use chopsticks all the time (though now that I have two portable pairs in my possession I might just whip them out whenever I get sick of forks). (Chopsticks are way more fun. Also, forks are too big and unwieldy.)
- Conbini (convenience stores) – These are so much better over here. They’ve got yummy bentos and onigiri in addition to alcoholic beverages and fireworks. Yes, you read that right. Fireworks in your local 7-Eleven. :)
- Taking pictures for this blog :(
Things I’m Not Going to Miss
- The exchange rate
- The rarity of soap in bathrooms
- Japanese style toilets
- Wearing the same 7 shirts
- Doing so much homework
- Using an adaptor for the three prong plug on my computer power cord
Things I’m Looking Forward To
- Friends and Family (I know, I’m such a sap).
- Getting back to the dojo
- Green apples!!!
- And other fresh fruit and veggies in general
- Giving out souvenirs and feeling like Santa :)
- Being able to use my cell phone for something other than the alarm clock
- T.V. in English
- Exercising more because I have more than two sets of workout clothes!
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