おしまい。

It's taken me three months to publish this post, but it's here--the photos of my last goodbyes.

Dinner in Akashi (Heather's Goodbye)

We take grinding our sesame seeds seriously.

The night wasn't complete without dessert from the Big Cake Cafe.

Lunch with 岡部先生 at Osteria Dell 'Arancio

Okabe-sensei warmly welcomed me to Miki and showed me that a great teacher is demanding, caring, and always passionate about what she does. Though she left Miki Higashi last year, she continued to serve as a mentor and friend throughout my time in Japan.

Dinner at the Komori Villa

Komori-sensei, my jack-of-all-trades desk neighbor, invited me (along with the two boys living in my house at the time) to a goodbye party at his enormous house. We started with yummy things cooked on a grill. There was also beef and chicken, by the way, followed by turban shells.

Dylan lived up to his Oklahomian reputation by manning the barbecue.

Komori-sensei can do anything. I have him beat on trivial facts from The Tale of Genji, but yeah, he's good at pretty much anything he attempts. Tonight was my second lesson from him in making soba from scratch. It's a challenge.

Check out Dylan looking at Komori-sensei work the dough. I spent more time playing with Tora, the cat.

The results of the soba Dylan, Chris, and I cut. Not pretty.

Random Goodbyes at School

They look happy, but students were crying over my departure. Really.

It's hard imagining I spent two years here.

Dinner in Kobe (Saying Goodbye to Lena)

I met up with Lena for goodbyes at Katsukura. I'm so lucky to have met this girl.

ピース Out, Miki!

Chris and I had a busy last day.

1. Mailed the last of our boxes home. (We got a lift to the post office with the lady who I greeted every morning on my way to school. Being nice pays off, peeps.)
2. Shut off and paid for all my utilities. Water. Gas. Electricity. AIR CONDITIONING. Gone.
3. Closed my bank account. Withdrawing the meager funds I had inside.
4. Said goodbyes to random friends about town. (I forgot to stop in to see my Bento Grandpa, which I still feel horrible about.)
5. That's me above, relishing my last day as a "foreigner." That's right; upon my departure from Japan, that sucker was taken away. I no longer carry a gaijin card! I'm a citizen of the country I live in! At least until I move back to Japan.

My last meal in Miki was at Ru Cafe, of course, where I bid a very sad goodbye to the owners.

After lunch, one of the school's office ladies helped pick up our luggage from my apartment. I then said my sayonaras at school, which was less and more than I expected. I was sticky with sweat and anxious to leave, but I still exchanged nice words with the few people who were there during the vacation. When Chris and I left, pulling our heavy suitcases behind us, all the teachers and students assembled in a long line to wave "bye bye." I cried all the way to the train station.

Life in Japan has been amazing, and though I've attempted to share through this blog how much the experience has meant to me, my pictures and words will never come close to the real, most wonderful thing.

For a last glimpse of Miki, I leave you with my little station!