Returning home is weird. The everyday life that I had wanted to leave behind, with some distance, now feels like a magical thing.

As things shook out, after returning from Okinawa, I would only be home less than two weeks before I would be setting out on another trip. This time, rather than somewhere new, I would be heading somewhere intimately familiar, I would be heading home. 

All good things have to come to an end, and after 6 incredible days, it was time to leave paradise. It’s sad anytime a trip comes to an end, but something about leaving Okinawa hit me differently.

It was my final day in Okinawa, and I wanted to send off this amazing vacation with a bang. Today, I would go scuba diving for the first time in the beautiful waters around Okinawa. 

It was time for my most ambitious day yet. I would venture pretty far from Naha and explore the north side of Okinawa.

Today, I wanted to start traveling a little further, now that I at least sort of knew my way around. Okinawa World, a kind of cultural theme park known for its caves, seemed like the perfect place.

So, I realized I may have unintentionally fibbed at the end of my last article. While my night out wasn’t terrible, it had left me feeling a little low.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to be feeling, or really what to expect from my first full day in Okinawa, so while I had some things planned, I didn’t want to be too ambitious.

After wrapping up work on a Wednesday afternoon, it was time to get ready for my longest trip in Japan yet.

One of the things they mentioned in my rather brief training was that once a year you’d get a physical exam through your school.

Despite the weather this past Sunday being a balmy 36 degrees, which felt like 43 with the humidity, I spent my afternoon strolling through Akihabara on the hunt for just one thing; stamps.

While I thought I had largely gotten used to planning and taking solo trips on my own, it seems I still need a little more practice.

I was set to have my busiest day yet, 5 classes and English club after school. Of course, things don’t always go as planned.

Eventually, you stop seeking change, or finally reach that ever elusive goal you've been chasing, and before you know it, you’ve grown complacent.

The end of the first term is quickly approaching here in Japan, and so the topic of summer plans seems to be more and more on people’s mind.

No matter how great the trip, or how much you’ve enjoyed it, all adventures must come to an end.

For my first full day as a 27 year old, it was time to visit one major landmark I’d yet to see, Mt. Fuji. I was pretty excited to see it. I've caught glimpses of it on trains to Tokyo or on the Shinkansen, but today I would get to see it in its full glory.

Feeling rested from our lazy day yesterday, we were all ready to go for, arguably, the most important day of our trip, my birthday!

During any trip, no matter how much fun it is, no matter how much there is to see, there comes a day when you simply must have a lazy day.

After a whirlwind few days, it was already time to say goodbye to Osaka. We gathered up our things, repacked our bags, and began to lug them to the train station.