The privelage to travel to Japan isn't something that happens everyday. So when it came time to back my bags, I packed in earnest. The trip started with a ten hour plane ride to Narita. The plane ride held loads of bonding time for traveling buddies, teachers and other people traveling to the far away country of Japan. My friend Holly and I sat next to each other with our teachers surrounding us. Featured in the picture below is my friend and I on the plane.

When we reached Mutsu after our two day stay in Tokyo, I met my host family for the first time. I had met Masaru in January when he visited Port Angeles so I had only to meet his parents and two brothers. That night in the confining warmth of my host home, we exchanged stories as best as our language barrier would allow. My host mom told me that the next night I would attend a Japanese wedding with them. I would have the privelege of dressing up in a very expensive kimono and I would be the honored guest. The process of putting on the kimono held my attention with an iron fist. First they packed cotton all over my waist to rid me of my body curves then the tied the cotton on with all of these multi-colored sashes. Then they put an orange and white silk kimono on over the cotton and polyester skirt and top they gave me to wear. They tied the orange kimono close with more of the multi-colored sashes. The deep maroon kimono went on next, also tied shut with the multi-colored sashes. The main kimono had long sleeves that reached to the ground. On the bottom of the sleeves, prints of flowers, birds and people. When the main kimono was on me, they put this thick sash over my stomach and tied the back in a bow. I had to wear these socks that looked like a pair of mittens, with a place for every toe. Finally, after an hour of getting my hair styled and an hour and a half of watcing them tie me up and stuff me into a beautiful kimono, I stood in front of the mirror astonished. My host brother Masaru shuffled me out to the lobby where I felt like a model because everyone was taking my picture. We didn't stay for the entire wedding, just long enough to listen to the opening speeches. The speeches lasted over an hour and by the time the people were tugging the kimono off me, I was more than happy to take it off. We ended the night by sitting around the dinner table and naming American movies.

My expirences in Japan were things that most people in thier normal life span never have the chance of seeing or expirencing. Before my eyes I have been seeing a life long relationship growing inbetween two different cultures. The friendships we've seen blossom in the past years are friendships that won't be easily distracted. I plan to return to Mutsu some time in my future and create even more memories that I will carry around with me for the remander of my life. But as of now, I already have enough memories to last me a life time and more.