My final goodbyes to my little town

I am writing this from Kyoto now...My journey began 2 days ago...and everything so far has been great!!! I am so happy that my final days in Japan will be spent in one of my favorite cities. I love everything about this place (except the heat;)

Leaving my town ended up being harder then I thought it would be...I think for awhile I had a grand ol *fuck you* scenario pictured...but in the end, opted for a more graceful and dignified approach. What i didn:t expect was to be so touched and sorry to leave the great friends I had made over the past year.

At my favorite elementary school, the entire school had a farewell ceremony for me (okay actually I had a farewell ceremony at every single school I taught at ...but this one was way more special) The kids played games that I had taught them over the year (Simon says and a few random ones), then gave speeches...and finally presented me with one of my most cherished souvenirs of the past year...a photo album of me with all of my students:teaching, eating lunch, goofing off....It was really beautiful, and the teachers worked really hard to get it all scrapbooked for me.

My closest gaijin friends (those who make up wednesday Foreign Food night) also had a dinner for me, at a fantastic Thai resturant. We had a great time...and of course I cried and cried (I am terrible at goodbyes...I think it might actually be more dignified and graceful of me to leave and not actually say goodbye...) and the group also gave me a beautiful photo album of our time together....I will really miss all of them, and cant believe that it will be ages until I see them next. (although we are planning a trip for next april...so hopefully, right?)...so honestly, I believe our paths will cross many times in the future.

And finally my tutor...who has been trully the best friend a girl could ever ask for..I think of all the people, I will miss him the most (Mainly, because I am not sure when or if I will ever see him again.)... He had me and N over for dinner with his wife...it was such a great night, because he tried to teach N tai　chi and we spent a lot of time laughing!!! I adore him and his wife probably the most of all the people in my town.

When the time actually came to leave...I thought I could sneak out of town, quietly...I planned on catching an early train with N...so we could catch some sights before she had to fly back to LA...but at the train station, there was a crew of 12 people there all waiting to see me off. And at my apartment, my neighbors had gotten up early to say their last goodbyes. I guess in the end, there was no quiet way of leaving my town. And even though, I was often left feeling frustrated by the things that happened, at the end of it all...I realized the Japanese really know how to leave a last great impression.

So as I wander around, spending my last few hours in Kyoto, I kind of think that maybe I might return to Japan again.....someday.