post-flight thoughts

I've been back home for over a week now, and I wanted to write about some final thoughts, and reflect on my trip. What exactly did I take away from this whole experience?

Time went by fast. I knew my time in Japan was limited, but three months never felt so short. I did so much, but I still have so much left to do. After my first visit to Japan when I was fifteen, I had felt like I formed a connection to Tokyo. I couldn't quite explain it (at that time I was only in Tokyo for a little over a week), but I felt drawn to the city. Something came back with me, beckoning me ever since. Oddly enough, I even started to have reoccurring dreams of going back to Tokyo. So I wondered if living here these past couple months would satisfy this thirst for the city, that maybe my reaction to my first visit was due to all the hype and excitement of visiting a place so influential to me.

Not. At. All.

I still feel a strong connection to the city. Living in Tokyo felt so right. I honestly felt heartbroken as we drove out of Tokyo on my last day. I stared longingly out the window, trying to take in every last bit before I left. Tokyo was my home, a place I felt like I belonged. Even now, as I look a photos and re-watch videos, I feel sad. Homesick, even. There's no doubt that I need to come back - that I need to live in Tokyo again. Something about the city calls to me. There's still so much for me to see, to do. There's so much I still want to learn and experience. Food, culture, language, politics, history, people, and more. Never have I felt more of a connection to a place than Tokyo. As much as I love my home, L.A., Tokyo's call is much stronger.

Even though my time in Japan has come to an end, I want to continue to write. There's still a lot I have yet to share about Japan, and more adventures to come in the future. Hopefully, you'll find some of these entries helpful as I go into more detail about certain things, like my trip to Mt.Fuji or my insight on the current Japanese fashion scene. So please look forward to more in the future!