Day 15 - Goodbyes and Hellos

Posted on August 1, 2008
Filed Under Australia - The land down under, Japan, Holidays, Breaking news, Photography - All about the photos Baby! |

Our last day was not only hectic but very sad for both of us so I didn’t take notes on what happened so I’ll have to go from memory.

We got ready that morning pretty quickly and took our luggage down the the office where the Ryokan was kind enough to store it for us until we had to leave for the airport.
We felt a bit frantic as we knew this was our last chance to see anything we had missed.  We headed out to Asakusa first. Sandy had decided at last minute that she wanted to buy yukatas for a few of her friends and Asakusa was where we had found the best ones for the best price. We walked around for most of the morning just taking it all in and feeling the impending moment when we would have to say goodbye. Around 2, we collected our bags from the Ryokan and headed towards the airport. It takes about an hour and a half to get there so when we arrived I stowed my bags for a few hours and went to check Sandy in. We wandered through the mall in the airport, stopping to pick up some sleeping tablets and have a late lunch. We were both pretty emotional and didn’t talk too much for fear of crying. That in itself is astounding! If you know me or Sandy personally, then you know that quiet is not a word used to describe either of us very often.

Finally it was time for Sandy to go through security. We hugged…a lot, and cried…a lot. It’s not easy saying goodbye to your best friend for an indeterminate amount of time. It feels like goodbye forever. We made promises to do it all again, with our Mother next time… maybe in Rome because that’s where Mum would like to go.

Then she went through security and was out of sight.

I bawled like a baby and wandered off to get my bags and go to my terminal. I think I must’ve looked a sight because everyone was so kind to me (helping me on and off the bus with my bags) though, to be honest, everyone in Japan had been very kind at any time. I truly loved the politeness and propriety of the people there and learned to say “Arigato gozaimas” (Thank you very much) an awful lot.

11 hours later and I was home again. Connor met me at the airport while Brian avoided paying for airport parking (such a rip-off!) and we headed home.

As much as it was hard to leave, it was good to be home!

 

 

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