Blessed

I am absolutely blessed with the company of amazing friends, both in the United States and in Japan. Shoutout to Victoria, Kaitlyn, Molly, Casey, and Alexandra for being in the States, waiting patiently for me to get my life together here in Japan. However, the event that sparked this post idea was Saturday, November 3rd. It was a long, solitudinous week; I was having a moment of feeling crappy, forlorn, and emotional. Thus, I kept to myself for most of the week (aside from going to karate), locking my door, not answering any messages, and being in a state of loneliness. The week was primarily needed to recharge my “social” personality and to get away from the tensions that have been building up between other apartment complex inhabitants.

By the time the weekend came, I was ready and mentally prepared for social gatherings that were planned to happen in response to it being Diana’s birthday weekend. Thus, Adam, Diana, Kevin, and I went to a Korean BBQ restaurant in the “boonies” (aka anywhere east of Himeji castle) on Saturday for dinner. However, because the wait was over an hour and a half, we ended up eating at a ramen place across the street. Then, because the buses out in the boonies only came once an hour, we opted to stop by a Family Mart (the equivalent of a QT without the gas stations), get a Strong Zero, and walk back to Shirasagi. After getting back, we had a small gathering in the community room where many of us became inebriated that night.

While also being intoxicated herself, Diana took care of my stubborn self that night. She cleaned my apartment, slept over to make sure I was okay and bought me breakfast in the morning. She bought me breakfast before her Japanese class Sunday morning, leaving her no time to have breakfast of her own! She also left me a care kit next to my bed with notes and directions. These pithy statements do not do justice of how caring and kind and unjustifiably amazing Diana is as a person and friend. She messaged me that morning, after having left for her Japanese lesson, asking about Chinese food for lunch, and of course, I agreed, though I was still recovering from a deathly hangover.

Diana finds these places for all types of food, and we always just go. This place was no different. She and I both wanted Chinese food, she found one, and we went. Simple. We ordered (or should I say she ordered, since my Japanese is at less than a two-year-old level) enough food for five people, and we ate all of it. Even I was surprised that we were able to finish all the food, and some of you know how much I can usually eat. Afterward, we spent a few hours spontaneously shopping. We bought some heat tech pants for the winter as well as matching movie-night outfits.

Somehow, Diana was able to take my day, that started out as a –500 out of 10, to a 10 out of 10 by simply being herself. We are completely different people, but there are some things that are weirdly and perfectly similar between us. I am so glad to have gotten to know her because she raises my frequency. There are perspectives she has and aspects of her personality that I feel I could benefit from adapting. I can say with certainty that I have become a better person, or at least strive to be one, because of having known her, alongside many others whom I have met whilst being here in Japan. I aim to one day being as impactful on others’ lives as my friends have been on mine.