Hisashiburi (Long time no write)

I've been blogging in my head ever since I got back from my short trip to the States, but haven't actually made it to the computer until now. And so much has happened in just one week! (The result of living in a foreign place = everything is interesting, even after a year.) I'm getting in good-bye mode, because there is so much to say good-bye to...people, my job, places, food (mmm...gotta soak it in), my lifestyle, and the excitement of living so far away from home. It seems so early to say good-bye, but this next month is going to go by so fast that I need to start now. But I'm also not trying to focus on leaving...I guess my job for the next month is to try and maintain a balance between living in the moment and saying good-bye- a difficult task.