As the countdown to our departure approaches the two week mark, we've been blessed with plenty of well-wishes from friends and a whole slew of "I'll come visit you in Sendai" type promises. Under normal circumstances I'd take these travel-oaths with casual indifference, as they usually mean "I'd love to come visit, but I probably won't." Thankfully, our circumstance is far from normal and our friends border on the bizarre and unusual. Meaning, of course, they are sincere, thoughtful, and similarly linked to the land of Nippon.
Take our comrade Jose, for example. He organized a farewell party for us last night that far surpassed the fealty of mere friendship. As he's also moving to Japan this summer, I have no doubt he'll be swinging down from chilly Hokkaido to visit now and then. And I doubt he'll be the only one; we've got three other American friends with Japan trips in the pipeline, not to mention the IBP-32, 33, and 34 students who are interspersed throughout the country.
The party itself was wonderful. Jose managed to gather all our favorite people in one place, feed them (with help from numerous others...props to Keegs on the grill), and offer up a hearty toast to our future success. Everyone was incredibly supportive and generous. It's great to have such an enormous support network set up before we leave.
The next time I post we'll be in Maryland, visiting my miscellany of folks and friends.
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