Back in Tochigi...

My dad left Japan last week, after a whirl-wind tour that included Tokyo, Nagano prefecture, and ARI. We saw a traditional kabuki performance at Tokyo's most famous theater; we toured plum-blossom bedecked shrines and moss-covered temples; we saw the famous onsen monkeys of Nagano; we ate more delicious Japanese food than we should have (including parts of tuna that I didn't even know were edible...). And my dad worked as a volunteer at ARI for one day, joining the daily farm work and helping us put up greenhouses for the spring seedlings. It was wonderful to spend some time with family after five months apart, and I really enjoyed showing my dad around my new home.

Part of our traditional kaiseki dinner in Nagano

Monkey!

Exploring the mossy Buddhist temples of Kamakura

Matsumoto castle in Nagano prefecture

In front of the central Shinto shrine in Kamakura

Shibuya crossing, Tokyo in the rain

Watching my dad, the ever-curious and ever-adventurous, explore Japan reminded me that my year at ARI is a precious opportunity to explore, to grow, to get out there and try new things. He saw every experience during our trip as a way to learn more about Japan and about how the Japanese view the world. Even the most mundane daily activities - riding the bus, pushing our way through a crowded Tokyo subway station, eating ramen noodles - became a way to explore Japanese culture. His excitement and curiosity made me realize that I'd become somewhat passive during the slow and sometimes lonely winter months at ARI. I missed my friends and family at home, I was a little bored with winter farm work (not as active or as fun as growing-season work), and I started to just drift. My dad's fresh enthusiasm reminded me that I need to make the most of my time in Japan with this amazing group of people - otherwise I'll have missed an invaluable opportunity.

So now I'm getting psyched again. My roommate and I are starting to plan our individual vegetable plot (squash, snow peas, bell peppers?), which I'm hoping to manage using natural farming methods that don't rely on compost or heavy cultivation so that I can transfer my experience to the U.S. next year. I'm continuing to work on my Japanese (にほんごを　べんきょうしる). I'm enjoying doing yoga every day with several other volunteers. And, as always, I'm continuing to learn about food, food security, and what "development" means for people around the world. The new class of participants arrive in just three weeks, and the sakura (cherry) blossoms will be coming just behind them - it's a time of new beginnings, and I'm excited to see what the next months have in store for me.