11,500 Miles

Living in Japan does wonders for my Mileage Plus total.

Osaka to San Francisco: 5413 miles
San Francisco to Los Angeles: 337 miles
Total: 5,750 miles.

Now, reverse and repeat itinerary, and you have an 11,500 mile trip. 11,500 miles traveled in 10 days, which equals to 22 hours of sitting on a plane. That's an awfully long travel time, especially since my stay in California was shorter than a week and a half. BUT it was totally worth it! Even worth the moments when I had to tell my nervous brain to shut up, because I'm terrified of turbulence. However, flying often makes the travel jitters go away, because you get used to it. And a long trip is always worth it when you have familiar faces that you haven't seen in over six months waiting for you at home. And when you leave those lovely faces 5,750 miles away, it's nice to have friends to notify of your return, and teachers and students that are genuinely happy to see you at school the next day.

The hardest part of coming back to Japan is that I didn't have enough time to do everything and see everyone. I did try though... and as a result, every minute of my day was booked, and I think I gained ten pounds from indulging in the rich flavors of Mom's cooking, Grandma's desserts, and California cuisine. Still, I wish I could have seen more of my family and friends. [Thank goodness for Skype, email and snail mail.] However short it was, every minute was great, and I have my AMAZING family and friends to thank for that =) It's an irreplaceable feeling to be with people that have known you for a long time, or who you feel like you've known forever. "Home is whenever I'm with you..." Can't wait for my next trip home! XXX

This time around, landing in Japan felt SO MUCH better. When I arrived back in July, I felt so overwhelmed by the foreignness of the experience and this country. I'm not going to lie, I had my doubts about whether I would last the entire year. But here I am now, loving this country and learning from the experience. I have even recontracted for a second year. Check me out Mom and Pops, I think your "little girl" is growing up. =D So this time around, I felt more confident upon exiting the plane, and let me tell you, it feels good to wait in a short "Japan re-entry" Customs line. Even the Japanese citizens had a longer line to wait in. And although I am NOWHERE near fluent, the fact that I can understand a few words of Japanese feels great. I still wonder how certain things would have turned out if I had stayed in California, but everything happens for a reason, and now I have an opportunity to meet more people and learn Japanese. Speaking of which, I should probably get back to studying...

I'll try to visit again in July, but considering the few days of vacation that I have, I might not be home until the holidays in December/January. (And to be honest, at this moment I cannot fathom the idea of getting on a plane anytime soon haha). In the meantime, please come visit!!!!! =D You'll rack up some frequent flyer miles, and this tour guide will make the long trip worth it. 11,500 miles worth it. That's a promise! =)