Relishing in the Wonder

As I lay on my traditional Japanese bed intimately tucked away under thick

comforters to keep away the cold, but close enough to stay warm with new friends, I

think about the importance of generosity. At the beginning of the trip my peers

asked me “what are you most excited about?” when we arrived to Japan.

I excitedly proclaimed,“To stay with my host family!”

Host Family Crew!

I intuitively knew what my family would be like. Every waking moment, our souls have been fed. Our host “grandmother” fed us five times a day. Our vibrant and flavor packed 3 course meals have changed my life.

Our host “grandfathers” curious conversation and hilarious reactions are so special. They are one big ball of sunshine bursting to spread their love and excitement about our presence and accomplishments. They have so many things to say and little patience to wait.

Our “grandmother” uses different gestures and dances to explain things she does not want to repeat into the translation app on her phone, and our “grandfather” takes his time to understand every word he has read in books but not often converses.

They taught us the phrase “Goto Arigato Gozaishta” which is a formal way of saying thank you very much. This phrase is a Japanese farmers expression that means “thank you for the soil.” We see this in the community around them. Using the soil given to them by their community they spread the fruits of their labor to give back to their neighbors. They explained the importance of community and the impact women have made. We went to a market owned by a woman (formerly) farmer they used to work with. We went around town to show their friends our “perfect pronunciation” of the phrase, as my own

grandmother (back home) would take me to her friend’s houses to display my

maturity as I finish university. Our “host grandfather” wrote a note explaining this

importance.

At the market

This beautiful experience is a familiar one. The language barrier is no

barrier at all, but a tool to slow down and relish in the wonder of the moment.