It had been one whole year since I had last been home. I was nervous about what I'd be coming home to, about how much things may have changed. I had read literature on reverse culture shock and was apprehensive about my own dealings with it. There wasn't much time to worry though, as I needed to be at Narita airport just 5 hours after hiking Mt. Fuji. (Don't worry, I bought some hand wipes and cleaned up before boarding the plane! Hehe...) Praise the Lord I made it to the check-in counter just as they were closing up! As I entered my terminal, I caught myself looking around to see if I recognized any familiar faces - an old Hawaii habit if you will. I smiled and laughed at the ridiculousness of my actions.
My plane-mate was a girl traveling from Thailand to visit family before continuing on to Oregon for her freshman year in college. That's about all I gathered from her. I was exhausted. I had just spent a 13 hour all-nighter on Mt. Fuji, cut me some slack :P I remember explaining to her about my Fuji adventure and how I was ready to pass out, hearing the fasten seat belt chime, and then...zzzzzzzz. At one point I do remember waking up to the pilot warning us about some extreme turbulence approaching and then...zzzzzzzzz. Next thing I know, we're landing at the Honolulu International Airport. I said goodbye to my plane-mate (who I learned had to crawl OVER me to get to the bathroom after many failed attempts to wake me) at the baggage claim and walked through the immigration gate.
The sensation following this moment can best be described as a combination of college graduation, finishing my first half-marathon, and eating a pizza pocket. Let me explain: College graduation. This was the culmination of 5 years (yes, 5) of hard work, dedication, and persistence. I can honestly say that I have never worked that hard at something ever in my life. Just like in JET, there were so many times I was ready to pack it in, break contract, and return to the comfort of my parent's house. But I didn't. I stayed the course, grew as an individual, and became that much stronger of a person. Finishing a half-marathon. This component embodies the idea of a complete cycle. After 2 hours and 12 min of running, I returned to the same place from which I had started, but returned having accomplished something amazing. I had survived on my own in Japan for one entire year --quite an amazing feat if you ask me. I walked through the same airport that had seen me off a year ago. Me, a naive little island girl taking on the world alone for the very first time. The airport no longer seemed very intimidating. (Probably because NOTHING compares to the chaos of Narita airport.) Eating a pizza pocket. When I was in elementary school, my mom would take my brother and me to 7-11 every Wednesday just before Japanese school classes (yeah I was cool, I know) started in the late afternoon. She would let us pick out one treat, whether it be a slurpee or a spam musubi. I would sometimes settle on a pizza pocket. Just that feeling of holding a freshly microwaved pizza pocket is, to me, the epitomy of comfort. I would look forward to Wednesdays, spending special time with my mom, and getting the chance to eat junk food. It was a good way to get over the hump of a long week of cursive practice, fractions, and art projects. In the same way, I was so excited to be back in the comfort of my island home to see my family and friends and to visit places I had daydreamed about during those long monotonous days at the BOE.
I anxiously pushed my suitcase through the corridor and was met by my happy and smiling family :) No better feeling in the world. It was an amazing reunion, like the lost son returning to his father. I was home.
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