Sayonara, Miyagawa

Last Night in Japan: Sayonara BBQ

front row: Taichi, Wakana, Mako, Shiori, Chinami, Kasumi (absent - Yuji)

Saying goodbye to Miyagawa was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. After three years in that tiny little village, I really was a part of the Miyagawa family, and saying goodbye to the people there was like saying goodbye to my own brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles.

Some of my kids, the class that graduated and moved on to high school just this past April, got together, organized, and threw a farewell barbeque for me, all of their own doing. They prepared all the food, performed a dance routine just for me, gave me letters and presents, and then sang two songs for me. We ate, chatted, and laughed into the night.

It was the most amazing way to end my time there, and I'll never forget that amazing place and those wonderful kids. As I promised them, I'll be back.