After four years, virtually half my twenties, we are leaving Japan.

The past couple of weeks have been an emotional rollercoaster, veering wildly between elation, panic and heart ripping, breath stealing sadness. Packing is such a hard thing to do, everything you own passes through your hands, and there is so much memory attached to everything. Japan has been so good to me, and I will always miss it.

Rio is in New Zealand already, luxuriating in the summer sun at his quarantine facility. Very glad he didn’t die of shock on the plane.

It will feel so good to be back here though.