This is it

After saying good night to my parents at their hotel, I came home to my apartment for the last time. I must admit, I felt rather sad. I've managed here for 10 months alone, feeling somewhat grown-up for the first time and quite proud of the way I was handling things. I enjoyed my tatami mats and hanging laundry hooks. I did homework in my underwear. I often went to bed without worrying about locking the door. I'll never see this place again (they're knocking down and rebuilding Dai 2 Sakura Heights this summer). お世話になりました。It was fun.

So to begin that list of Things I Will Miss About Japan:
1. bank passbooks
2. using cash
3. carrying large sums of cash around without worrying
4. using my iPod on public transit
5. onigiri
6. 大きなチョコメロンパン (big chocolate chip melon bread)
7. delicious sushi, even at the cheap conveyor belt places
8. frequent and timely train service
9. little old Japanese ladies in hats
10. Japanese
11. Engrish

There's more, I'm sure, but now I must throw out and pack up the last of my stuff, then wait for the gas/electricity/water people to come shut everything off. I'm hoping to be out of here by noon. Then, on the way to the train station, I have to return my rented DVDs (last night I watched 電車男 [densha otoko] in Japanese, without subtitles!, it was cute ^^), mail one last form to the ITO Foundation, and leave my bike at ICU. We meet the Masurs at Meiji Shrine at 4pm. (I need to make a dinner reservation :-/)

Most likely I will not update until we get back to the States July 11th. Until then...
さようなら！