We have returned back to Noriko’s house in Chiba from our 3 night trip in Okinawa. I had such and AMAZING time there 🙂 The flight was about 2.5 hours from Tokyo and we stayed in Nago which was about a 2 hr drive from the airport once we landed. We stayed at a really nice hotel…Mahaina Wellness Resort. The weather was perfect, the food was great, the people were friendly…it was a beautiful/relaxing place. I wish I could transport myself back there again right now! I tried the local food (soku soba noodles), took a Japanese hot spring bath for the first time, finally. (Noriko says I made my “debut” lol)…which was AMAZINGLY relaxing, tried the local beer, local ice cream and local potato chips 🙂 Took a boat ride to the most beautiful island-Minna Island…where we had almost the entire beach to ourselves.Took a bicycle ride through a very primitive area near Emerald Beach famous for “fortune trees”. Ate way too well and way too much, relaxed by the pool, made friends with a cat (which I seem to do everywhere I go!). Spent quality time with my friend. This is just a brief summary…we did a lot in just a couple of days and I enjoyed every moment of it.
Tomorrow (Wednesday) is my last full day here in Japan. I am already feeling sad to leave but I know I will be back again someday. My friends here are truly like family to me and I am feeling very fortunate to have them.
Today I am thankful for waking up this morning and knowing that I am going to be ok no matter where I go or what life throws at me. 
