Japan Day 12: Returning to Hawaii

I was happy to see that soft boiled egg I'd gotten to like so much at the morning breakfast buffet.

It was a lovely breakast.

The last several times that we've been on trips, my weak stomach has revolted on the last day.

Could it be the stress of getting organized for boarding the plane?

Could it be that all the excitement just got to be too much for me?

I don't know.

I'm glad I brought my Imodium. I'd passed one dose on to a fellow traveler earlier in the trip.

Our bags and boxes were packed and I'd checked off my list so I knew exactly what we'd bought and for whom.

All the omiyage (gifts) my aunt had given us in Sendai were packed to deliver to relatives in Hawaii.

I spent some of the morning resting while my stomach settled. Art went off on his own before coming back to take me out to get some lunch. He deliberated quite a while before settling on the middle plate. I decided to just have a banana and a bun with a Coke.

Those young boys are students carrying their school bags. I'm always amazed to see children walking about everywhere and even boarding trains on their own.

It was time to leave. Our boxes and suitcases were not very heavy so we weren't concerned. Would you believe one of the best sushi plates we had while in Japan was at the airport? It was recommended by tour friends and lived up to their praise.

At the JAL gate before boarding the plane to take us back to Hawaii, there were a lot of hugs, wistful smiles and promises of emails between tour mates. We were all sad to have to say goodbye to each other.

It was great to be home. Mom was eager to hear how it all went and we promised her a happy trip in April. We'll be traveling through Tokyo, Sendai and Yokohama on our own and hope we can remember some of what we learned on this trip.