Last Tuesday my adviser graciously invited our seminar group to her apartment to have a farewell party. It was a lovely night of fun discussions and delicious food, not to mention plenty of cuddling with her two precious dogs.
It was the first of a series of goodbyes that are consuming a large portion of my time these days. As sad as goodbyes are, though, I feel more fortunate than I can express that I’ve met so many wonderful, inspiring people during my time in Japan. My adviser’s courses, and our thesis seminar group in particular, were extremely productive for my research progress, and I’m so glad that I had the chance to participate in them. I suppose the tone of finality with which I’m writing this post isn’t quite accurate, as I still have one exam and two final essays to complete, but somehow, it’s saying goodbye to the people who have made my time here so meaningful that is really driving home the fact that I fly back to the U.S. in less than three days.
Couldn’t have asked for a better group of smart, compassionate, and encouraging colleagues. 
My adviser, who is from Osaka originally, taught us how to make Kansai-style sukiyaki.
Navigating Nagoya 