Packing up my suitcases the day before I left was a difficult ordeal. My amount of souvenirs and other personal items had greatly accumulated during the past nine months, and one of my suitcases was a kilogram over the weight limit. But I was not forced to pay any overweight luggage fees at the airport. The flights were tedious, and the one from Osaka to San Francisco was a little over ten hours. I was relieved to finally arrive home late at night yesterday evening.

I am already experiencing a lot of culture shock. I miss the polite atmosphere and indirect way of talking that are characteristics of Japan. It's also odd to look around and see that everyone looks similar to me here, as opposed to Japan, were I easily stood out from the crowd when walking down the street.

Thank you for reading my blog and keeping up with my adventures in Japan throughout the past nine months, I appreciate your support and interest!!!