It’s impressive to think about the summers of the past years. Now that I have only a few days left I start to remember…
One year ago I was busy going to the Japanese embassy and worrying about the chances of getting a student visa or not.
Two years ago I was walking around Kyoto melting under the sun. And some days I sat behind him, riding his bike around.
Three years ago I broke my left ankle in the stairs of Harajuku Station. I never ever want to fracture again.
Four years ago I was in university, lived in Cholula, had a Mexican boyfriend. I didn’t know S at all and then…
Next summer where am (are) I (we) going to be?
And it was a free round-trip ticket. Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juarez to Chuubu Kokusai Kuukou, two stops.
I was truly excited and happy. But that didn’t stop the nausea when I boarded my plane. I had to take medicine and watch movies to calm down. A nice Japanese man helped me out to fill my “Embarkation card for foreigner”, and when we landed on Narita, he said to me “Welcome to Japan. Enjoy your stay!”. He told me he and his wife lived in Akasaka. My next plane was full of salary-men. I had green tea and another pill before falling asleep.
Back on earth, it was like stepping into a beautifully designed set. I couldn’t say more than the usual greetings, but I didn’t need to speak more than that. I was a guest of honor and had a bilingual Japanese-Spanish “guide”. And then I woke up to new smells and sounds. “The Japanese smell like the sea” a romantic adolescent thought. I felt completely in love.
That was 5 years ago. But I can feel the summer coming back again. Summer makes me want to stay here forever.
