#9: Nine months already?

I think that I'm actually getting quite nervous about going home now. My return flight is on 8th June, which is just over 3 weeks away. I've become more attached to Japan than I expected to, and I can see myself coming back one day. Just as long as it's with Mike this time! I'll probably cry at the airport when I have to leave Nagoya behind...

Some of the main things I will miss are a bit silly but I will miss them nonetheless. These include:

♥ All the lovely new people that I have met, from all over the world
♥ Karaoke
♥ Cute characters & gothic lolita shops, and everything being cute in general
♥ Online shopping, especially Rakuten
♥ Baumkuchen, cause it's only the best cake EVER & iced coffee
♥ This lovely warm summer weather
♥ Pretty gardens with tortoises in ponds and lakes
♥ Onsen/hot springs
♥ Easy access to Tokyo
♥ Ability to practice my Japanese a little more every day
♥ Seeing bands in smaller venues (Placebo was just amazing)

There are of course things I won't miss, but I won't share on here in case I offend anyone ;)

I'm worried that I've turned a bit Japanese now and I'll go back and bow at people and say 'arigatou gozaimashita' in shops instead of thanks etc. Haha. I was thinking about when I went home at Christmas and even then I felt a little bit of reverse culture shock. Even just little silly things like when I got to Manchester and was queuing up to go through passport control. The guy was like 'desk one please sir', 'desk three please madam' *my turn* 'desk four love'. I felt like saying LOVE?? I've probably been called love a billion times, but it was only then that I realised that it's pretty unflattering. It's so different to here where I'd be bowed at and referred to as 'okyaku-sama' (roughly translates as 'valued/honourable customer'). Haha so I guess in that respect Japan really does treat people with more respect.

It's been longer this time and I feel as though I've really integrated into a Japanese lifestyle more. I'm not exactly losing sleep worrying, I just wanted to write down my thoughts about it all.

In all honesty. I didn't get off to a great start. I had never been to Japan before and being rushed straight to my little old boarding house in a very residential area meant that it didn't live up to my expectations at first. I was really homesick and regretted my choice in coming, so I thought I was going to end up coming home after 2 months or so. The only thing that made me stay is the great friends I have. I also was lucky to be able to go home for Christmas, and have Mike come and visit me for 3 months Feb - April. I was worried that my bad start had ruined Japan forever for me, but that's not the case.

I'm really glad that I did stay, cause I have really had an amazing time and I think it's changed me as a person. I feel more mature, independent and open minded. I also feel more like me again. I've got back into gothic lolita and I'm just not ashamed to admit I like what I like. I think it's so easy to live in a little world where it just feels like Britain is the centre of the universe, but it's not at all. I was never interested in seeing the world really, but now there are so many other countries I want to visit to learn about their culture too. India for example. It's also easy to be influenced by the media in Britain and turn to magazines to tell you what you should and shouldn't wear/like/buy/do! People here literally just indulge in what they want to - some stranger than others, but whatever floats your boat. I'm just me again now, and that's probably what I'm most grateful for.

I'm looking forward to going home and seeing my friends, family and Mike. I'm still really bad at dealing with living without them all, I don't know that will ever change... so I can't say for sure what the future holds for me and Japan lol. I'm not overly excited, which is a good thing I think. I'd probably be disappointed otherwise. Well see you soon Blighty, my teeny little country. I wonder how much you've changed!