I returned home today after being in Aizu for the last three days. I managed to see many samurai, ate fish that was so fresh it was still twitching on our table, walked everywhere, got put up by some great friends, met some new ones too, and learned about computers and coding. I’m sure there’s more, but most of it’s a blur right now. I’ll have to take a look at the photos to see where I’ve been.
A funny thing happened while we were arriving back in Iwaki tonight. As the bus made its way to Iwaki station and things started to look familiar, I realized that I couldn’t wait to get home – and that home was a my apartment in Iwaki. I think when I came back from Fukushima last month, my apartment was still just a place that I was staying. Tonight, after popping the locks off my bike at the station and cruising the streets back to my place, parking it under the stairs and walking up to punch in the code that unlocks my door, I got that sense of relief to be in a place where I can be comfortable in a way that only a home can be. It might have been a bit messier than I had hoped; nonetheless, it was good to be home.
The photo is an image of some samurai shoes that we saw at the festival.
Glad you enjoyed Aizu.
ReplyDeleteEven moreso, glad that you've settled in enough to be thinking of your apartment as 'home.' *thumbs up*