Following Up

Yesterday I met with the Japan-trip group for a "follow-up meeting." While the intention was to lesson plan and share academic resources, it turned out to be a picture-sharing, Facebook-tagging, jam session.  Awesomely wonderful to reunite, chat, giggle, and gossip.  I felt kind of funny seeing everyone in a separate life. Alien.  For three weeks in July we were twelve people; one unit.  Gluing ourselves to one another we learned each other's insides and outsides.  Truth, beauty, laughter, intellect, humor, weakness.  As foreigners in a novel land, we traveled in a shared experience.  Leaving Japan saddened me, but parting from our group challenged me.  Back to life. Back to reality.   Consumed for months with weekend study sessions, language classes, preparatory shopping, and delightful anticipation, returning home let me down.  And now?

Blogging. Moving. Dreaming. Sharing.

Upon Arrival

It's Friday July 2nd, and I just spent the first day of my trip visiting different temples and shrines in the city of Kyoto.  It took close to twenty-four hours to arrive here.  After being crammed in a middle seat for thirteen hours we landed in Tokyo and then took two trains before reaching our hotel.  Completely exhausted and hard to concentrate during the tour.  I think it's gonna take a couple of days to settle in here.  Just bought a ton of water from a seven-eleven as not to repeat today's mistake of not coming prepared with own water.  Completly dehydrated in this insane heat!  I thought New York and Miami were humid- nothing like this! 

But the food is great.  We had a very special vegetarian lunch at a temple.  I have neverhad such unique textures, flavors, and prepaations of vegetables.

My eyes are closing and my thoughts are incomplete.  Under the covers I go.

Oyasuminasai.