It's been awhile!

2013年4月11日 (木)

Hi everyone! Long, long time no see! Do you remember me?

I am still living in France. I am very happy and slowly adjusting to life there. I am learning French little by little- it’s a bit difficult, but I am able to speak more and more.

But actually, right now I am traveling in the US. It is my first time back to my my country in about 6 years! I came to visit family. First I went to California to visit my sister and her husband, who I met for the first time. Then my sister and I flew to Big Island, Hawaii to visit our mom. It was our first time all together in 6 or 7 years, so we were really happy to be all together. We had a great time going to the beach and traveling around the island. My sister and I swam with wild dolphins two mornings in a row. It was amazing! The dolphins came so close to us that we could have touched them! (We didn’t touch them out of respect, but we could have!)

Now I am in Taos, New Mexico visiting my grandmother and aunt. My grandma is 92 years old! You may remember that she visited me in Japan a couple of years ago. She is still as tough and independent as ever, volunteering every day and still driving around in her big car! It is good to see her and my aunt.

And it is nice to reconnect with my American roots. I am able to appreciate my country in a way that I could not when I was younger. It is not a perfect place, but there are some good things here, and the nature here is beautiful and diverse! I think traveling in different countries gives us a new perspective and helps us appreciate where we come from.

I hope all is well with you all!

All the best,
Luella

*The photo is me with my mom and sister.