Jodi in Japan 2016
I recently got home from a trip to Japan. Honestly, I’m not sure what to write about. Before going on the trip, I was sure I would blog about my experience as soon as I got back home, just like I did the first time, which you can read about here and here. Because just like the first time, this trip came as a surprise and an answered prayer.
I’m not sure what to write about because it all felt like a blur. I know they say that you shouldn’t be sad that it ended, instead be grateful that it happened, but I am sad. But that does not mean I’m not grateful.
I’m not just sad because it’s over and I’m not in Japan anymore. I’m sad because I was always tired. I couldn’t be as energetic and joyful as I wanted to be. I don’t know if it was the weather or the air or it was just really all that walking and excitement because now that I’m back in the Philippines, I don’t feel my heart beat as fast (I mean this literally, my heart was pounding all the time). And I remember that I felt the exact same way when I was in Baguio last year. So maybe it was the air or atmosphere. I don’t know. Of course it’s also my poor health, which frustrates me all the more. This topic is a deep pit that I do not want to delve in anymore, so I shall leave it here.
So yes, I had a difficult time walking around, but it was all worth it. And it was not the cool buildings and lights, or the themed cafes and delicious food, or the interesting shops and merchandise that made it all worth it. It was really the people, my sister (of course) and her friends. I’m not the kind of person who always enjoys meeting new people, but these people are my sister’s friends. They keep her company, they make her laugh, they listen to her, she listens to them. And I know that in a foreign land where you are far from family, these friends are one of the most important things a person can have. And I am so happy to share moments with these people and my sister. I’m happy that I got to hear conversations that they have, to see them eat the food they eat together, and to see how they support each other. And I am grateful for each one of them from the bottom of my heart for being there for my sister when my mom and I couldn’t be.
Even if I just watched her on a TV screen receiving her PhD diploma/certificate, it was so worth it. Come to think of it, I don’t think I was there when she graduated from college. Seeing her so happy to have a representative of the family present in her graduation makes the stress of getting my visa and horrors of my 1AM flight fade away. Honestly, I didn’t really realize how important it was to her until I was there. At that moment when I saw her joy, I knew it was for that purpose that God sent me there, because He wanted my sister to have as many people to share that moment with as she could.
It was the best sister bonding I could ever ask for. Explaining to her what Pokemons are, watching her panic as the hungry rabbits scamper towards her, enjoying the cafe and store of the only anime we’re both familiar with, making fun of Chappie’s accent, and taking videos using a selfie stick, these are just a few moments that will keep replaying in my head for who knows how long. Having my sister as my sister is one of the best blessings God gave me. And experiences like this make life richer.