Off the top of my head... in no particular order... I want to always fondly remember...
- Azabu-Juban - our neighborhood
- absolutely no Saturday household chores (small apartment living has its perks!)
- the best strawberries, apples, cucumbers, yogurt, etc. etc.
- Cleanest, quietest, safest city ever!
- Fabulous public transportation... an unparalleled subway system ... Chi bus... taxis...
- and... generous friends who have also driven us hither and thither
- a simpler life (walking to get just a few groceries at a time; no dishwasher; relatively few possessions)
- sashiko lessons at Blue and White
- ASIJ Gala quilt group
- Tokyo International Quilt Festival
- Nippori (fabric district)
- Yuzawaya
- Tokyu Hands for office supplies (swoon!) - Frixion pens, anyone?
- French bakeries at every turn - oh how I will miss you, Mont Thabor!
- convenience stores too!
- Fast, dear dear friends and many great buddies - fellow expats, great gals! Memories to last a lifetime of lunches and outings, talks and laughs, adventures, service, and fun. Too many sayonara parties though!
- company from the U.S. - loved that!
- Making onigiri for the homeless at Franciscan Chapel
- subbing in fourth grade at ASIJ - a delight!
- Fukagawa High School
- living walking distance from our church and Temple
- Complete freedom for my teens to safely travel independently anywhere in Tokyo
- Miss K's senior year, and Tommy's 8th-9th grades at ASIJ - amazing respect between students and teachers, students so well engaged, just an excellent school.
- Allan West's studio
- Kappabashi (kitchen district!)
- Indian food... Thai food... Chinese food... Singapore chicken... Harajuku Gyoza... Yakiniku, Pizza Strada and Friholes in the Juban...
- Wonderful Japanese ladies who have helped me at least scratch the surface of Japanese culture!
- family trips to Matsumoto, Kyoto and Hiroshima
- the emphasis on seasonality here - really appreciating and acknowledging the seasons
- wonderful customer service, such attention to detail!
I will not miss:
- being functionally illiterate at best!
- the 3-4 hours it took to complete each load of laundry in our tiny washer and dryer
- the view from our third floor apartment (think power lines, cars, beige concrete apartment buildings)
- often feeling like a bull in a china shop
- being so far away from loved ones in the U.S. - especially my daughters
- iffy healthcare
- crowded rush hour trains!
- vague "what if?" worries about a big earthquake
- sheer exhaustion after a day of errands or just trying to get one complicated thing done.
- heat and humidity
- often just hopelessly not really understanding "the system"
We arrived here to stay one school year, and ended up extending for a year - and it has been a wonderful experience for our family. There are challenges waiting for me at home, but I am ready to be there... And yet I will dearly miss Japan. I know that Tommy and I are in for some wicked reverse culture shock. I don't think David will feel it as much - he's really ready to return to the U.S. :)
No I haven't cried yet - I'm sure the tears will come and when they do, I hope I'm not in line at customs or something!
