Goodbye Takahagi

Although my contract officially expired some time ago, today was my last day as a teacher. The last two weeks have pretty much been one continuous farewell party. With speeches and toasts literally every night, presents received and pictures taken, finishing JET has been a gradual process to say the least. Perhaps because of that it was a little difficult for me to get a sense of closure from most of those farewells. I think I talked to everyone I wanted to and said all of my goodbyes, but knowing in the back of my head that I would probably see any given person again as I continued my farewell tour lessened the emotional impact. Well, now I've finished all of my duties as an English teacher, and yet this whole experience of living in a small town in a foreign country for two years steadfastly refuses to be summed up in a nice neat package. Instead, I'm just sitting in an apartment that isn't even mine (thanks Tom!) a little depressed at the realization that yeah, it's over, but also wondering, what's going to happen next?

Hopefully sometime soon I will be able to think a bit more clearly about what teaching in Japan has meant to me, and what to take from this experience going into the future. For now, I just know that despite plenty of frustration at times, I am going to miss this town and the people I met while in it.