Made it.

I made it. In so many ways, and to so many places. Despite everything that's gone wrong along the way.

I'd hoped to sit and type something out last night; lost time. Got up this morning and ended up wrestling with oven instead. Bread turned out OK but the adventure at my freetime away. Anyway. All is good, school year is done, spring break has begun, I have learned most of my new schools for the new year -and am excited about them, I'm returning to some of my favorites- and I am not home.

I am here: http://www.nogamiya.co.jp/

四国　の　徳島県　の　徳島市
Shikoku Tokushima-ken Tokushima-shi

Where the Henro, the 四国88ヶ所巡り begins. That pilgrimmage where you walk close to 1300 km and wander from temple to temple to temple so you can come back to where you started, again.

But first tomorrow is a Rugby Tournament. I made the Hiroshima team mainly because those much better and more capable than me got sick or dropped out. But I like the tournaments anyway. They're fun. Hiroshima's constant high performance at them seems to only baffle us as well. :) 明日にがんばる！

It was the original plan to leave for 四国 tomorrow and start the henro 月曜日 [Monday].

But the rugby gang just rushed me here a day earlier. We all piled into two minivans (just after I was done wrestling with the oven and I'd apologized to my mom who called right as I was going out the door) and hurtled along the highways to Tokushima, 23 and Toshiki behind the wheels.

Cool. We took bets before we left on how many times we'd make U-turns (1) and wrong-turns (4) and stops (4) on the way here. Despite the obligatory use of online real-time computer navigation by both drives, multiple cell phones, map books, and rest stops along the way. Driving with 23 in particular can be quite the adventure in itself. :) But we always get there and it's a lot of fun.

So... we were close. It took 6 stops, to get here, and only 2 remain a little difficult to comprehend. The one signifcant u-turn was at a Conbini (Lawson's) where, after entering, and a flurry of walkie-talkie conversation between Toshiki and 23, we U-turned, left, and went about 5 blocks down the road to a DIFFERENT Lawson's. but then all was good.

There was a German student who came to Inokuchi (my base school) the other day. It was awesome. I got to show him around, and speak german a bit, and convince kids to talk to him. Inokuchi is a good school; it has definitely grown on me. And the kids there are finally starting to open up.

Life is good, every day is an adventure, we never know what will happen next.

後で、ね。

(After this, I may zip through Oosaka so my Mongolian friend can attempt some of her native cuisine on me. heh.)