opinios

A Letter To Japan

Dear Japan,

After two and a half years of living with you, today I return to Australia. At this point I have a confession to make:

I feel numb.

I know I should feel sad, and of course I do when I consider how many fantastic friends I am leaving behind. But it is time and it feels right and there are a few things about you that I won't miss.

There's something else I should you tell you too. I hope you don't get jealous but I ran off with your sister a few weeks ago. Yes, I spent two weeks in China and had a terrific time. But since coming back to you things have been a bit strange and so there are some things that I need to tell you.

All of my friends told me that as time ran out I would feel a sudden urgency to get as much done in you as possible before I leave, to photograph all of you before it is too late... but it hasn't been like that at all.

I'm totally ready and now am just going through the motions, like I'm on auto pilot. Of course I'll miss you and your people, but not immediately. Right now there is still a lot of packing and cleaning to be done. Every time I lug a heavy box down to the post office the shipping cost kills me. I wonder whether it would be more worth my while to throw out that last box of clothes and buy new ones when I get back, rather than spend $100 sending them home... but I struggle to throw away perfectly good clothes and you don't seem to have any Salvation Army stores or thrift shops [update: apparently there is a Salvation Army, I just found out about it too late].

Settling final bills and cancelling contracts with internet providers, mobile phone companies and the like has been nothing short of a big fat migraine. Returning back from China to discover a rental video that I had forgotten to return had accumulated over 4,000 yen in late fees (the weekly fee is compounded daily) was, as you can imagine, a rude shock (when I considered not paying, the store politely informed me that the fee would continue to increase and another customer could not rent out the video until I paid it, even if I had already returned the damn thing!! And I didn't even watch the damn thing, it was Kim's movie!!!)

Anyway, all this administrivia crap will soon be a distant memory and I am sure once I have actually left you for good, there will be a huge feeling of elation. Maybe you will feel it too, that feeling that comes with closure. I know it is nigh and it will probably hit me once I am back and set foot on a beach. I have always felt that connection with Australian beaches, you can't beat em. Yes, you have Mount Fuji, but it just aint the same for me.

No, my imminent departure won't be sad. It will just be the right time. I mean, I have realised that for every adventurous soul who is prepared to take up the challenge of surviving in a foreign country where the language, culture, food, everything is different, there are 40 awesome fantastic fun individuals to make you feel welcome and to make the whole experience much more manageable, but it is definitely time.

So please don't cry. I won't.