I am officially finished teaching classes. I have one more curriculum tomorrow and thats it. I’m pretty excited!
I said, “Goodbye,” to my class Monday, Tuesday and finally today. Some of the kids were great fun and great people who would be fun to be around any time. At the same time, I never got too close to them, so the memories and pictures I took will be enough.
A few interesting things happened however. Tuesday after I taught my classes, I went with Mami to meet the Hiroi family. I taught them from last June until April. I did get close to them and I will miss them. The Hiroi family wanted to see me one last time before I left, so we met at a small restaurant, and while the kids had dessert, I played with them and soaked it in.
There was Yuka who is either 5 or 6 and is the definition of cute. Then there is the boy, Kengo. He is really funny and just great. The oldest is Maho, and her personality is about inbetween the other two. She is around 12 or 13 and had a little crush on me I think. I don’t mind though, nearly every girl I taught did that. Seriously.
I’m not making it up.
I’m not proud of it either.
Just a fact.
So we just spent some time together and said our final farewells.
After that Megan, Mami, Yurie, Ayumi, and I went to dinner together. These were the Japanese teachers we got closest to and the people we will miss the most by far. I know there was a language barrier, but we tried to let them know how important they have been to us. We ate and laughed and talked until around midnight before we pulled ourselves away again.
When we think of Japan, they will be the first people that come to mind.
I have said all of my goodbyes and now I am just packing before we fly home Friday. I’m dreading the flight, but excited for change.
It has been one of the best years of my life. Not because it was all happy, fun, or even easy. Far from it. It has been one of those years where I felt like I truly lived life, and it was great.
Now for something kind of different.
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