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I want to go home

2.28.2022

This morning as I awoke to travel to New York City for three days of work meeting and my first trip since the pandemic, I was looking for a small travel bag. My search took me into my basement, pass my stacked boxes of collectibles and books, where my eyes fell upon a very special bag. This bag was gifted to me from one of my wonderful Japanese students.

It is a special bag because it was an Apple bag given to my student who attributes my passion for Apple as his reason for working for the world-leader computer company. I had decide not to ever use the bag but only to preserve it. But today, I said why not and I’m glad I made that decision. Just seeing the bag takes me back to Japan. There is no other place I would rather be than Japan. Until travel came to a halt due to the pandemic, I traveled to Japan annually to visit to the school and see the students. So I my bag come along with me for the next few days as a practice for the time I can return to Japan. But there was more.

My special bag had a wonderful surprise inside just waiting for me to find it today. I opened the bag and placed inside was the adorable welcome sign that was hung on my dorm door when I returned to Japan back in 2015. The faculty and students made this sign just for me. On the sign they put my favorite kaiju Godzilla. They know me well. As I prepare to travel today, I’m filled with warm memories and a deep longing to return to my home away from home.