2/2-2/8

“You're off to Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting,

So... get on your way!” 

― Dr. Seuss 

And a mountain is where I went! On February 2nd I went with my soon to be host dad and Vale to climb Mt. Kongo. It is the tallest mountain in Osaka, over 1,800 meters tall. Hiking up the mountain we took the difficult path which actually turned out to be literally climbing a mountain. At times there wasn't even a path, you just followed the red tape marks. We crossed a stream, walked on ledges overhanging massive drops, climbed up rocks, hiked through snow, ice, and mud, and stumbled over fallen trees... I was in HEAVEN! SO MUCH FUN! The day we went hiking was the warmest day we have had in a really long time- we were sweating by the time we got to the top. Once at the top we had a little snack and took some pictures. It was a little unfortunate it was so warm because there was also a lot of fog and you couldn't see much. The climb down we took the easy stair path which still turned out to be a bit of a challenge because it was covered with ice, slush, and mud at different sections on the way down. Thankfully we had special boots and spikes to keep us from slipping too much. It is safe to say that when I got home I was exhausted and sore!

The next day I went to a place called Round 1 with Mark and Ma-chan (my art teacher- Nishinaga sensei). Japan doesn't really have any open space for recreational activities. So, Round 1 is the place to go! We played soccer, volleyball, rollerbladed, batting cages, mechanical bull riding, etc. Then we went to Makudo (McDonalds) for a snack, quick stopped at a book store, then went our separate ways.

On the 7th I attending a Rotary Meeting. It was Jaimee's first meeting with us and it was a great meeting to be at. We were at a restaurant, the Rotary Governor told a lot of jokes while we waited for our food, and I didn't have to give a speech!

On the 8th, exactly one week after Jaimee's welcome party, English Speaking Club had a sayonara party for Mark. Mark's last day was very sad for me, he has become one of my best friends these past 6 months. It is strange to go to school and not have him there making his snarky Irish jokes. On the positive side Jaimee and I keep each other pretty entertained! 

Sayonara from Osaka, Japan.