A Face in the Crowd

What began as a plan for one final hurrah before everyone went home slowly became shrouded in more and more uncertainty and anxiety.

Lake Tazawa - before the storm

The camping trip at Lake Tazawa. Of course when the day finally rocked around everyone was looking forward to spending a day on the beach followed by a booze up.

Overcast, yet still plenty warm enough for a dip we made the most of the crystal clear waters not just during the day but also that evening after some more delicate campers complained that our group was being to loud (which to be fair we were). The walk back down to the lake marked the first time I ever saw fireflies.

Despite preparing ourselves for the mildly emotional weekend – we were certainly not prepared for the mother of all thunderstorms that night. Constant cracks and booms of thunder and abrupt bolts of lightning kept us awake for most of the night, and then the rain came…

After managing a measly 3 hour sleep everyone was up at 8am, dismantling the tents, a unanimous feeling of reluctance to persist for another night in the downpour.

Peanut Cream Soup

Liam and I returned to Cari and Josh’s place in Akita city where hot showers and coffee was a welcome experience, then graced a local soup restaurant where Josh and I exchanged shocked expressions upon realising that they were playing a NZ radio station.

The next weekend we travelled to Ugo for Priscilla’s birthday and spent an evening trying to determine the correct pronunciation of ‘hygge’ before the skies opened once again and made getting home incredibly difficult for those residing further north.

Fortunately most of the flooding had subsided the following weekend, so other than 2 small detours (one involving more than a small amount of swearing) I was able to make it to Akita airport on the first leg of my journey home.

Before beginning my time one JET I was convinced that I would prefer to spend my time, money and leave travelling around Asia while I was there, rather than visiting NZ. However as my self-prescribed half-way drew nearer, I knew that I needed to be home.

Hygge - Hai-gah? Hue-geh?

The main convincing factors had been Chanelle turning 21, family planning to visit from the UK and the fact that long distance relationships can be a bit of a bitch.

So at 11am on Friday the 28^th of July, I braced myself against the icy Wellington gale as a recently reunited Henry and myself battled our way through the elements to his car.

A number of surprised shrieks, tears, ‘I KNEW something was going on’ s and bear hugs later my summer/winter escape to Wellington had come to a close. I had needed it though.

Disclaimer: I love Japan. BUT after a while, the collection of small things that irritate you, REALLY start to grate on you. Spiralling into a fed up mind-set of constant complaints and irritations, I knew I needed a break from everything, to go home and come back and learn to fall in love with Japan again.

I realised how much I had needed it before I even touched down on kiwi soil. Sitting at a café in Narita airport, I overheard at least 3 other languages being spoken while indulging in an ice tea and a wave of bliss washed over me. I was not the token gaijin, I was not just an ALT, I hadn’t been on the receiving end of any double takes in over 3 hours. I was but one face in a crowd of hundreds, and the anonymity was heaven. I was able to sit and be the observer after months of feeling as though I was constantly the observed.

Castle Point - New Zealand

Different people I talked to had different views on whether it was worth visiting home during my stint in Japan. But it did me wonders. It felt so reassuring and comforting to reinforce friendships, to return to living in a flat with other people (After discovering that I require other humans guilt tripping me into being constructive and cleaning up after myself, I have decided that it is in my best interest not to live alone after this..) to eat familiar food and to be able to talk to people, not because you happened to both have been dumped in the wops of a foreign country (don’t get me wrong, I am so very grateful for the friends I have in Akita) but because they are genuinely the most beautiful souls you have ever stumbled upon and you just KNOW that in 50 years’ time you are going to be sitting together on a park bench rambling about life, the universe, booze and everything.

I don’t know if I’ve ever appreciated how much New Zealand really is home. Driving through paddocks, rolling hills and seeing the sunlight sparkling on Wellington harbour, it has a calming effect like nothing else. Being back in people’s arms and really feeling that no matter how far afield the travel bug may lead you, this is where you belong.

So for everyone who made my little stint back home a dream, thank you.
I will be back x