i love my IPOD!!!!

I had the most amazing self reflection relaxation time in the world yesterday!!! As usual I went to teach private lessons, only to find out my student cancelled on me at the last minute and because it was pissing down I was too lazy to ride back home and then back again for the next student. So I had two hours to myself waiting in a room with nothing to do. With the IPOD on, I stood by the window staring at nothing from the sixth floor for about an hour. I didn’t even realize I had stood there for so long. I was totally alone, in my own world, without a worry in the world. It was the best feeling ever. I think the music from the POD played a major part; music plays an ENORMOUS part in my life. I can’t even find the words to describe how good it felt. I don’t think I’ve ever achieved such total relaxation before. After that hour, still in my own world, I started observing the people, the cars, cats, people on their bikes riding by, people in their garden, houses and apartments as well as the way the rain was falling on the trees, the leaves and in the puddles. A million random thoughts ran through my mind. I started to think, “where that guy going?”, “it must be so boring to be a cat eh?”, “these people I’m seeing for the first time will probably also be the last time I’ll ever seen them again in my life”, “this past year has gone really fast”. It was “really” strange.

Being back in Australia last month, having sufficient money to survive, not having to work and having no worries whatsoever yet I couldn’t get this same feeling when I was there. Being back home wasn’t what I expected it to be. I don’t know if it’s my house, my surroundings or whatever but my mindset jumped back a year and it was like I never went to Japan and it was all just a dream. It was a terrible feeling. It felt like I had lost a year of my life when in actual fact i have gain heaps. Having been back to Japan and going to LIAM’s and ANGELA’s goodbye party, it really made me rethink about relationships. While I was back home I thought to myself, “if I quit right now I would never see my Japanese students again EVER”, I don’t totally adore my students but I don’t know why it started to make me really sad. I think if anything, Japan has made me learn to treasure friends and those around me more and become a better friend and person to others.