lioness in japan

The best girlfriend I made so far in Japan has left Tokyo. I felt sad because I genuinely connected with Juleen. She’s from San Francisco and was here for a term to finish up her degree. Before Tokyo, she spent a term in Hong Kong.

She’s a gregarious personality who radiates warmth. She only moved here in Jan and we only said hello in Feb. She finally bumped into me again in March and a beautiful friendship began. Haha, she said the same thing and it’s a stolen line from Casablanca.

It’s rare to find a girlfriend who loves to jog and lives in the same apartment building as you. She ran really fast so I had to huff and puff to catch up. Friends who challenge you are worth keeping, I say.

Anyway, it’s funny how we are from vastly different countries but we think alike in many ways. We enjoyed exchanging stories over copious amounts of red wine. She loves to travel and she inspired me to explore towns outside of Tokyo. She pretty much hopped onto the Shinkansen almost every weekend of her stay here. She has probably seen more of Japan than I have in her three months here.

I hope to visit her and a coupla other friends in America next year. I always wanted to do a road trip on the greyhound but Juleen warned me against it. Alas, the greyhound is no longer a symbol of romantic escapades but one of poverty and crime. So single gal backpacking should not attempt the greyhound at all. She recommended the Green Tortoise, which is a bus tour group, that goes off the beaten track but still keeps schedules and food in order for you so it’s absolutely hassle-free. It costs only over USD1,500 for a month long trip, not including the air ticket. Is that doable or what?

Anyway, here’s to you Juleen. Thanks for making March and April a little bit more special.

Related posts:

1. Almost the same
2. Mid-week update

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