Goodbyes, Snowboarding, and lots of Kimonos

I´ve been a little lazy on the blogging front lately, and I can´t blame it on the lack of internet this time. I just felt like I was tired all the time this month, maybe that´s because I stopped drinking coffee 

(I´m considering starting again). Anyway, I´m pretty much half way through my exchange at this point, which is weird to think about. It´s hard to decide if it´s going fast or slow, I think it depends on my mood. Right now I think that it´s going pretty fast. I look back at all the things I´ve done and I know I´ve accomplished a lot, but I can´t help but think that I could have tried a little harder, or focused a bit more. I guess you could call these feelings a mid-exchange crisis? Whatever it is, I´ll use it as a motivation to work even harder! 

On the 8th of January, I had my first day of school, which was basically just tests, which meant the day flew by. I had five minutes at home before my host parents and I headed towards Nagoya. The seniors were leaving the next day, and since one of the flights was at an inhumanely early hour, we had no choice but to stay at an airport hotel to make it. 

Later I met up with Brennan (who was leaving the next day) and Emma and their host families, who were kind enough to let me join them for dinner. It was nice, but surreal at the same time. My host dad and I had to wait half an hour to catch a train back to the hotel, but we had a really nice talk about things I can´t remember anymore. Everyone went to bed early, except I hardly slept at all.

    The next morning I woke up at six, rolled out of bed, and walked up to the airport terminal. Brennan was the first to go. We had some time to eat breakfast and chat before having to say goodbye, but since it was so early it felt kinda rushed.

Host families, Rotary peeps, and about half of the exchange students. It was really touching to see the connection between him and his host families. Everyone was tearing up, and you could see they thought of him as a real son. Goals.

I also teared up. He got big hugs from everyone, before heading off to New Zealand. Of course there was a line to get through security, so everyone stood around watching as he fumbled with his blazer through the metal detector. Rotary blazers aren´t the most convenient for traveling I´ve realized. Once he was through, everyone waved goodbye, and he was off. Cue even more sobbing. All of the host moms came up and tried to comfort me, which made me cry even harder.

Since we had to more exchange students to say goodbye to about seven hours later, Logan, Emma and I headed to my hotel room to relax a bit. We lied down and cuddled in my bed talking about everything and nothing at the same time. Soon it was time to check out of the hotel, so we went to bum around the airport instead.

After looking through nearly every shop at the airport, we sat down on a bench to rest our legs. Suddenly these for guys came up to us and asked if they could ask some questions for an assignment for their English class at University. Of course we said yes, and when we finished of course I asked for a picture.

We were bored out of our minds so we had some fun with the Centrair dragon

The dragon didn´t seem to mind

I tried to do the same kissing pose but it ended up like this haha

Soon we met up with Jake. We had a lot of time until we had to say goodbye, so there was a lot of goofing around.

Georgia came a little bit later, but we got lots of time to chill out with her to before they left.

Georgia and Jake´s peeps altogether in one big goodbye pic. After this we headed towards the terminal and gave our goodbye hugs. We had to watch them go through security this time too haha.

In the car ride back I experienced the strangest cocktail of emotions ever. Basically having to process saying goodbye to my friends (whith whom I grew more attached than I had planned), and realising that this was going to be my last night with the Kenda family. I felt guilty that I had dragged them along to the airport on our last day together, and I felt overwhelmed that I would have to say goodbye twice in such a short period of time.

At dinner time I could hardly speak without choking up in tears. I got over that eventually, and I had some pretty good talks with my host parents. My host dad told me that my heart is growing stronger for each time I have to say goodbye. My host mom told me that in five months they´ll be the ones standing there crying while saying goodbye to me. Host dad also told me that I have to come to back to Japan two years from now, because he´ll be hosting a Rotary conference in Takayama, and wants me to hold a speech there. I was also told to give them a call when I get married, so I can invite them to the wedding. I felt much better after talking with them. 

I really adore these people.

I woke up next morning and packed up the last remaining things. Host mom took me out for yakiniku, and I ate way to much, as per usual.

Mom Keiko, Dad Hiroyoshi, and Nephew Kazutoyo.

Host sister(in-law) Yuko. My host brother was at work, so he was unable to come.

I got this letter from Kazu. It says "Thank you for playing with me!"
Host parents drove me to my new house, but I had to say goodbye to Yuko before that. I was surprised to see that she was tearing up, which of course set me off as well. We assured each other we´d meet up again soon. My parents helped me unload the car, and then we had a chat with my new host mom. After that it was time to say goodbye. I had a really great time with the Kenda family <3

I arrived at the Adachi family´s house, and immediately started unpacking. This is what my new room looks like. It´s freaking sweet!

I went down to the living room and found my host nephew hiding behind the tv. I was a bit uncertain if he was supposed to be there or not.

My host nephews. I was surprised about how short it took them to warm up to me. We became great buddies straight away! My host parents pick them up from kindergarden, and they hang at the house all the way until my host sister comes home from work. Sometimes all three of them spend the night here. It´s really lively.

Takaya is five

Nao is two

Logan and her host family came to Takayama to go skiing, so they took me with them. I bought these fancy pants for the occasion.

Me, Logan, and her host sisters. A snowflake is placed quite strategically by my nose haha.

We did some stretches to warm up first. Pulling a muscle would be bad news.

I tripped before getting on to the lift, so we rode separately the first time haha.

After some practice, we were able to get on the same lift.

Ready for action

I´m posing here

More lift selfies. It was so much fun! It´s been over a year since I last went snowboarding. I was a little rusty, but soon got the hang of it again. Rotary is arranging a ski trip for the exchange students in March, and I definitely feel ready for that. Host sister used to snowboard, and offered to take me sometime.

After our ski/snowboard adventure we went to Centre4 Burgers. Which apparently is a pretty famous burger place in Takayama. It´s ranked the second best burger place in all of Japan, which is pretty darn good. The entry kinda looks like some quirky antique shop.

It definitely lived up to the hype. Delicious, but kinda slippery.

Logan, and her host family plus me and my host mom.

The next day was the Rotary New Years party, and I got dressed up in the kimono again. How ladies were able to go about their daily lives in these things I have no idea.

I got my monthly allowance PLUS a New Years bonus. Score. Later on my first host dad came up to me and asked if I could sing "Let It Go" with his band. I said yes, but in hindsight that wasn´t the best idea. I´m sure I sounded like a whale, plus I forgot the lyrics. People were pretty tipsy so I doubt they noticed/cared.

Me and my current host parents. We´re not looking at the camera, because there were a lot of other people taking pictures.

The next day was the first regular day back at school, and this pic pretty much sums up my feelings about it. It was nice to see my friends again though.

That Sunday I got all dressed up in a kimono again. My host mom and her friends invited me to go to a tea ceremony, and they were all gonna wear kimonos, so why wouldn´t I? I got to try a new hairstyle too.

Host mom, Kayoko, and I.

This hairstyle was elaborate.

Me and my host sister, Akiko.

Takaya hangs out in my room a lot

Host mom doing the tea thing

In this picture I´m smiling and pretending that I can actually feel my feet.

Afterwards we went out for lunch, and we got a break from sitting in seiza.

We posed in front of this tapestry that looked like the old town. The teacher invited me to take lessons, which is an offer I´m definitely going to take.

Sometime during the week, some professionally taken photos arrived. Some time earlier this month the boys went to this photo study where you can dress up and have your picture taken. The idea was that both of them would wear the samurai/kimono outfit, but Nao refused and insisted upon dressing up as a pig. This picture is too good to be true.

Flash forward to the weekend. Emma came and visited me in Takayama. We went to Centre4 for burgers, but we got so much more. as soon as we had ordered, this huge camera crew walked in. They were filming a segment on the burger place, and sat down at the table next to ours. Of course they start interviewing us. It was pretty hilarious. They also filmed us quite intensely once we finally got our food, and let me tell you, eating with four cameras in your face is very uncomfortable.

They brought out this TripAdvisor thing that proves that Center4 is, in fact, the second best place to get burgers in all of Japan. Or that it´s the second most popular restaurant among foreigners in all of Japan. The new information got me confused.

We made sure to get a picture of our waitress. We actually almost didn´t eat here, because we saw it was pretty full, so we decided to find somewhere else. This lady saw that we were leaving and followed us out of the shop and a little more and then asked us if we wanted to make a reservation. Since she made such an effort we obliged. It was pretty surreal.

Emma and I and Ken Yahagi, from the OgiYahagi comedy duo. I honestly had no idea who he was, but anyone who´s on tv regularly is a celebrity right? So we´re most likely gonna end up on tv. While eating really sloppy burgers. I´m excited!

So that´s basically everything I did in January.