On January 1, my BFF, Miss Fairy, Luca and I visited my BFF’s parents’ home again. We drove through the town of West Point, which was a typical small town with neat rows of stores and businesses on the main street.

At my BFF’s parents’ place, their Labrador retriever welcomed us. In the house, my BFF’s father lit a fire in the fireplace. I met a cute fluffy cat in the room. She liked staying still in front of the fire. Miss Fairy, Luca, and I watched Pokémon on TV. Actually, I was not very familiar with the story of Pokémon. Indeed, I did not know anything but Pikachu. However, they kindly explained what was going on, so I was able to enjoy the story with them.

We went to the dining room. Her mother cooked and served stew with oysters, which her father had grown in the river. It was so delicious that I had another helping. The cornbread she baked was also tasty.  After that, we ate traditional Southern U.S. New Year’s food: black-eyed peas, collard greens, and stewed tomatoes for good luck and prosperity. Greens are said to represent money and prosperity. They were delicious! I loved her pecan tarts, too. She was a great cook, and every meal she cooked was full of love!

After lunch, my BFF and I looked at some albums which included old photos of her ancestors, going back to her great great grandparents. The photos showed old traditional American lifestyle. I was particularly interested in their elegant dresses.

We saw some birds coming over to the yard. One of them was a Northern Cardinal, the state bird of Virginia. Not only I but also birds loved to visit that place. It was wonderful to see my BFF’s family again! It was an unforgettable New Year’s Day.

After coming back from the botanical garden, my BFF and I started cooking. We cooked shrimp creole for dinner. Obviously, her job chopping onions was more difficult than mine slicing peppers. Thanks to our good teamwork, though, the family and I were able to eat delicious dinner. We also ate chocolate cake and celebrated New Year’s Eve.

After dinner, everyone sat by the fire. Luca showed me how to play Pokémon cards. Unfortunately, it was so complicated that I could hardly understand anything. Afterward, Miss Fairy and Luca showed me how to play Minecraft. I got a rule, but I was so awkward that I could not build any structures. They kindly repaired my strange products and filled up holes. (I often dug a hole by mistake.) They built a fancy house for me, furnished it with furniture, including beds, sofas, and a fireplace. They even planted flowers in the yard. How thoughtful they were!

We drank non-alcoholic champagne and ate s’mores that my BFF roasted. We turned on the TV, put on New Year headbands, blew noisemakers, and counted down to the new year!
Happy New Year 2018!!

My BFF, Miss Fairy, Luca and I went to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. We saw miniature trains and many other interesting exhibits there.

The trains were amazing! They were finely crafted and incredibly realistic.

I found many other interesting exhibits created in collaboration with local elementary schools and craftspeople. The garden did not only show plants and flowers but also provided visitors with good opportunities to learn cultural things from an international perspective.

These Christmas trees were decorated by local elementary school students.

This section introduced how different flowers are beloved by each culture in the world. I found the facts about Japanese cherry blossoms.

We went to the conservatory and enjoyed viewing both the flowers and the decorations. There were numerous handmade crafts here and there. Many people in the community were involved in creation of the displays. The decorations demonstrated their ingenuity and skillfulness.

These lanterns were made from old worn-out books which were no longer in use.

Some displays were associated with children’s literature and they inspired visitors’ imagination.

Outside the building, there was an event called “Rolling in the New Year,” in which people literally rolled down the hill. There were many children ready to join and so were Miss Fairy and Luca. They were good at rolling!

We waited until it was dark enough to see the decoration lights. It was very cold, so we drank hot chocolate. They offered s’mores, too. We enjoyed the colorful lights in the garden. They were so beautiful and worth the wait in the cold!

I like taking pictures of flowers, so I want to go back to the garden someday!

December 31st was the busiest day during my trip.

First thing in the morning, we went for a walk with “Puppy” around the neighborhood. The air was cold but refreshing.

We went to church. Sunday School had many classes for all ages. Miss Fairy and Luca went to their classes for youth, while my BFF and I attended a class for adults. I was warmly welcomed by the teacher and students there. We had a discussion about what people believe justice to be. The teacher and the students exchanged their opinions freely. It was intriguing and inspiring. I like to think about my life philosophically. How wonderful it is to have good friends to share your thoughts with!

After Sunday School, my BFF, Miss Fairy, Luca, and I met up and went down to an atrium and had some lemonade. My BFF introduced me to some other people, all of whom were kind and loving. After that, we attended a church service. Miss Fairy helped me throughout the service, especially when we sang hymns.

Back at home, we ate egg & turkey sandwiches and curry soup for lunch. They were delicious as always! Then, we left for a botanical garden…

The next day began with breakfast. It was a cinnamon roll, some fruit, and tea. I loved it!

I didn’t know what my BFF and her family had in store for me during my stay. However, to be honest, I was up for experiencing a typical American life. They kindly understood my wish, and my BFF and her daughter took me to a shopping mall.

First, we went to the bookstore Barnes & Noble. I looked for educational materials there. Every book seemed interesting to me, but I did not buy all. The thing is, I wanted to pack light. I found an interesting slang book and bought it.

After that, we visited Short Pump Mall and got pumped up! The mall had all the bells and whistles. For starters, we needed to grab a bite to eat before shopping. We went to Chick-fil-A for lunch. The nuggets and French fries were so good that I pigged out on them. We visited trendy stores such as Justice, Hollister, Bath & Body Works, and Calendar Shop. My BFF’s daughter showed me Generation Z teen pop culture. (From now on, I’ll call her Miss Fairy in this blog. The thing is, she likes fairies and cute things.) It was fun to hang out with her in the shopping mall. It was chilly, but luckily, there was a fireplace outside. So we chilled out there.

After leaving the mall, we shopped at Party City for New Year’s Eve decorations, even though we were not exactly party animals. We got New Year headbands and noise makers. Afterward, we went to a grocery store called Kroger. I loved grocery shopping with my BFF. On the way home, Miss Fairy taught me slang, using the slang book. She was a very good teacher. She knew slang inside out. When I used slang properly, she clapped her hands and said “A+,” which motivated me to learn more. We studied together until we got tired and hit the sack. She was definitely my go-to teacher!

We finally arrived home. We had dinner together. I loved the sweet potato casserole. After dinner, I enjoyed watching the children dance in the living room until midnight. They were great dancers! They were so funny that I could not stop laughing. I was so happy to be surrounded by such a happy, loving family like my friend’s.

Happy New Year!

I have just come back from the U.S. and I want to share the wonderful experiences I had there with you! I have many things to tell you, which will take a long time. Thank you for your patience reading my travel story.

I flew to Washington D.C. via Tokyo/Narita, but my first flight was with a domestic airline from Osaka/Itami to Narita. I enjoyed the view from the airplane. I was lucky enough to see Mt. Fuji whose top was beautifully covered with snow. As the airplane was approaching Narita, I also enjoyed the scenery of the Boso Peninsula with its rice fields and small towns.

I arrived at Washington D.C. Dulles Airport in the morning after a 12-hour flight from Narita. My BFF and her husband picked me up at the airport. I had not seen them in 17 years! You can easily imagine how moving our reunion was! My BFF and I were international students and ”roomies” in Austria in 1996. I had already been to Washington D.C. and Virginia twice in 1996-97 and in 2000, so it was my third visit.

First, they drove me to Tappahannock, Virginia. We ate lunch together at a restaurant called “NN Burger.” (NN refers to the Northern Neck, which is the northernmost of three peninsulas on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay, where the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers meet.) After having yummy hamburgers, we went to the Rappahannock River to take some photos of a bridge. This is the place where Captain John Smith landed in 1608. (There was no bridge at that time, though.)

Then, we went to my BFF’s parents’ home on the York River near West Point. We met my BFF’s parents, and her daughter who is in her early teens, her son who is in the 5th grade, and two dogs―a Labrador retriever and a cairn terrier. We had a nice teatime. I enjoyed delicious tea and the pecan cookies my BFF’s mom had baked. We shared our memories of the days during my last visits. I love their home. It has a warm atmosphere, and all the family, including the dogs, are warm-hearted. I always appreciate their kindness and hospitality.

We went outside and took a walk around the yard with the cairn terrier. The children played on tree swings and ropes. The view of the York River was fantastic. That was where Pocahontas had been around. I remember my BFF and me picking up some arrowheads on the beach 21 years ago, which native Americans had made and used a long time ago.

Every moment was so precious that I wanted to imprint them in my memory.