:: My Urban Eyes ::
All that I see, and then some.
:: Tuesday, September 12, 2006 ::
Golden Year
Now that I'm basically settled in and have time to breathe, I find myself thinking about Japan a lot. It's all too easy to picture myself there--at the University, walking to the train station, doing all-night karaoke at Jankara, exploring Namba with friends. The bittersweet part is that I can remember the spacial elements so clearly. I can still remember which escalator to take to get to the 300 yen store in Vivre and what buildings line the road to school. I can close my eyes and bike down the steep hill to Tsutaya at 11 pm to get the newest game for my DS Lite. Seeing it and knowing that it's half a world away makes me want to cry.
My time in Japan was a golden year in my life. I made amazing friends, saw incredible sights, and grew and changed in more ways than I thought possible. While high school and college bring the prospects of reunions and homecomings, a study abroad is final. There is no way that all of us can get together again from all corners of the globe, stay in the dorm, and hang out 'like old times'. This is something I realized during my last few weeks in Japan, but denied in order to enjoy each moment to the fullest. I guess this pain, this bittersweet natsukashii, is what I get on the back end.
But I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. It reminds me that these are things to remember, friends to cherish, and a self discovered. In that sense, I hope this awful feeling lasts a long long time.
To everyone I met in Japan: I remember you, I miss you, and I thank you.
Labels: Japan
:: Kazen @ Always Doing 11:26 PM [+] ::
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