All things must come to an end....
Trip Start
Jul 24, 2010
1
53
Trip End
Aug 02, 2011
Where I stayed
What I did
Climb Mt. Fuji
Kawaguchi-machi, Shizuoka, Japan
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
My time here has been one for the ages. I have to say that it has been mind altering, physically demanding, and life changing. It started off really tough and lonesome, but one thing I have discovered about myself is that I WILL adapt somehow. I have learned to be comfortable with myself and be satisfied with what life will bring me. I have always been one to strive for more and sometimes ignore my present place and time in pursuance of future goals. Japan has allowed me to layback and relax a bit more. I'm sure this might not be the best thing for some friends that always want me to be that crazy guy that gets the party started, but no worries that person is still alive and well….just in a different form.
I will truly miss this place and hope that it serves my successor well. I will comeback and visit soon enough and I invite any of my friends back home to please join me if you would like. You can see what my life has been like this past year…and you will get to see some breathtaking sights and landscapes.
There are a lot of videos and pictures in this post. I have done a lot in these past few weeks. Please enjoy them and try to check them all out. They are amazing experiences and memories that I will take to the grave. I will keep the descriptions on these brief because I need to pack. I’ll be back home in 2 days….
To all my friends in Japan –
Thank you all so much for all you have done and the memories you have given me. I know that I have a circle of friends here that will last forever. That circle will stretch around the world. Please know that I will welcome you with open arms, open doors, open beers, and an open schedule whenever you choose to visit wherever life might take me. You are amazing individuals that cannot be replaced. Keep me in your hearts because you have a reserved room in my heart. Miss you peeps!
To my friends and family in America and around the world –
Thank you for your support and encouragement this past year. You have kept my head high and my hopes even higher. I couldn’t have made it through this year without you. During the unfortunate earthquake and tsunami in March, I was overjoyed to know that I had so many friends and family that were soooooo overly concerned with my safety. Even thinking of it now makes me teary eyed. I remember my friend telling me, "We were already preparing the rescue mission." Love you peeps! See you soon.
I won’t describe the pictures much. They are pretty self explanatory. Here is some short descriptions of events though.
Road trip – Took my trip around Shikoku. Great trip. Road solo, but met some awesome people saw some great sights and did some river rafting. So far the best rafting I’ve done, especially since it was right after a storm. This island is truly beautiful. The vine bridge was pretty awesome as well.
Ultimate Frisbee – Such a great time. I did pretty good for being the first time I have really ever played. I sort of treated it like football. Worked well for me. I even caught a beetle with my chopsticks! No lie. I had a Daniel-san moment. It was awesome.
River Float – The float was rocky once again (literally), but everyone can agree that it was still a fun time. I thought the river would be flowing since it was rainy season, but I guess not. We had a ball just jumping off rocks though. We had a rocky experience later when we slipped on some rocks and cut ourselves up pretty bad. You guys can check out the pictures and see what my fingers looked like.
Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea – Cool to go check out these parks. Tokyo Disneyland is nearly identical to the one in LA, but DisneySea is really different. If you ever visit I suggest you go to that park and check it out. So much fun. The most interesting part was the variation in popcorn flavors. Check out the pictures. I tried a few of them and they weren’t so bad.
Farewell Party – Amazing time. I gave a short speech in Japanese. It went great. Made some people cry, which was great. It was overall a great time to see my friends and coworkers for one last bang!
Mt. Fuji – So there is this little stump they call a mountain that I decided to climb last weekend….It made me nearly cry! Mt. Fuji is freaking amazing with breathtaking views. The climb up is not so bad aside from the fact that it took 6 hours and we climbed all night. I was a bit tired, but reenergized when I saw the sunrise. The pain came on the 4 hour trip back down the mountain. It was so painful on my knees; loose rock, dust, no water, and one bathroom the whole way. It was definitely one of the hardest things I have ever done. Would I do it again….probably not. Only way I would was if I had a great crew and we started from the VERY BOTTOM and climbed up. Only way I would do it. Who’s with me?!
Tokyo – I was only there for a day, but it was great to see Takaya again. Takaya and I met in 2006 while traveling through Thailand. We exchanged emails and didn’t expect much. You never really expect to see people you meet on the road again, but then again I’m not like most people. We got to have a few beers and catch up on life. It was truly a perfect ending to my time in Japan.
Thank you so much to everyone. Sayonara Japan and Konnichiwa Los Angeles.
Comments
Man! I didn't even know you were blogging during your time over there! Guess this stuff was being sent to my old address. Glad I checked it! Glad you enjoyed your experience. Can't wait to check out your pictures. Welcome back to the states brotha, lets get together sometime soon.