away in Japan

The Eldest is away in Japan.  She has worked hard in jobs she has not particularly liked, and for most of the time while studying full time.   She has worked and saved hard.  Learned Japanese through years 11 and 12 and she has gone.   Not for the year or so she originally thought she might.  That was the plan way back when.  But she will be gone for quite a few weeks all on her own and I think she is very brave and we are very proud.
She has been gone nearly 2 weeks now.  She got slightly lost a few times in the first few days, but is having a fab time non the less.   She joined a tour for a couple of days to see all the major sites easily like Mt Fuji etc
I am sure she will come home more grown up than before, more confident than before and hopefully with an appreciation of how wonderful her family and home life are!!!!   She is after all only 19 and lets face it, not many of us appreciated our families at 19, not as much as we perhaps should have.

I left Tassie for Melbourne at 19.  By myself with $100 and only knowing one person in Melbourne and was going to make a new life for myself, which I did.  That was very scary.  But I think going to Japan for almost a month by myself would be even scarier, 19 just seems too young for that.  But she is doing fine

a photo I copied from Zoe's Facebook Japan Album, these are Plushie Mt Fujis - how cute are they...adorable...the Japanese sure have the market cornered when it comes to cute.....

I have some strong feelings and opinions about some things the Japanese do, but I was very tight lipped.  I wasn't going to ruin The Eldest's trip in any way.  I think I did well, as for me, it is hard sometimes to keep my thoughts to myself about things I feel very strongly about.

We are missing her a lot now.  At first it just seemed like life as usual when we don't see much of her and a few days can pass and we don't see her at all.  But now I feel it's time she came home.  So I will be very happy in less than 2 weeks when I will have my other chick back under my wing, for now at least.