Going Home: A Wedding, Old Friends, and a Taste of Home

これまでもALTのラフ先生がちょっとした旅行に行くたびに、帰ってくると授業の中で、でその「旅話」を英語の生きた教材として語ってくれました。

今回は、８か月ぶりのアメリカ一時帰国で、親友の結婚式に「グルームズマン（新郎の介添人）」として参列し、その話を通して、bride and groomや groomsmen and bridesmaidsなど、欧米の結婚式のについても学ぶことが出来ました。

ラフ先生は、今回、飛行機の遅延やスーツケース内でワインが割れる災難もありましたが、無事にニュージャージーの実家に到着し、家族や友人たちと嬉しい再会を果たしました。滞在中は大好きなチキンウィングやチーズケーキなどのアメリカ料理を満喫し、思い出のレストランにも通って故郷の味を心ゆくまで堪能しました。

式では大切な二人の新たな門出をすぐ近くで見守ることができ、遠く離れて暮らしていても変わらない友情と絆に深く感動しました。あっという間の1週間でしたが、日本もアメリカも自分にとって大切な「ホーム」なのだと改めて実感できた、かけがえのない旅となりました。

It had been about eight months since I had last been home, and this time, I had a very special reason to make the long journey back to the United States. One of my closest friends, Paul, was getting married to another one of my close friends, Christy and Paul had chosen me to be one of his groomsmen!

For those unfamiliar with American weddings, being a groomsman is a special role given to people who are close to the groom. Groomsmen are part of the wedding party and help support the groom throughout the wedding process. Depending on the wedding, this can include helping with planning, attending events leading up to the wedding, helping the groom get ready on the big day, standing beside him during the ceremony, and generally making sure everything goes smoothly. More than anything, though, it is an honor that represents a close friendship and the trust the groom has in you.

I was incredibly excited to be part of such an important moment in Paul's life. Watching two of my close friends get married was something I knew I would never forget. But, if I'm being honest, the wedding wasn't the only thing I was looking forward to. I was also extremely excited to see my family and friends again and, perhaps just as importantly, to eat some of the American food I had been missing!

The journey home got off to a bit of a rough start. My flight to the United States included a layover in Houston, Texas. I arrived in Texas without any problems, but my connecting flight to New York ended up being delayed by six hours. After traveling all the way from Japan and knowing that home was just one flight away, sitting in an airport for another six hours was definitely not how I wanted to spend my time. Still, eventually the hours passed, the plane arrived, and I finally made it to New York. Unfortunately, I had one more surprise waiting for me.

When I picked up my checked luggage, I discovered that one of the bottles of Yamagata wine I had brought home as a gift had broken somewhere during the flight from Houston to New York. Wine had gotten all over the inside of my suitcase and soaked into some of my belongings. Thankfully, nothing was seriously damaged, but after such a long journey, having to clean wine out of my luggage was certainly an unexpected headache!

Luckily, the frustration didn't last long. Waiting for me at the airport was my father. Seeing him after eight months and getting a big hug made all of the delays and travel problems feel much less important. We loaded my bags into the car and drove back home to New Jersey. It was so nice to be home.

During my week back, my sister came to visit, so I got to spend plenty of time with her and the rest of my family. I also had the chance to see many of my friends, some of whom I hadn't seen in months. It was strange in the best way to see people again after spending so much time on the other side of the world. Even though so much had changed in my life since I left, being around my family and longtime friends made everything feel familiar again. And then there was the food.

Living in Japan has given me the opportunity to experience so much amazing food, but there are still certain American foods that I find myself craving. During my week home, I made sure to enjoy as many of them as possible. Chicken wings, cheesecake, and plenty of other foods that I had been missing made their way back into my diet.

I even went to one of my favorite restaurants, Chili's, three separate times during my short visit. I suppose eight months away builds up quite an appetite! Of course, the main event of the trip eventually arrived: the wedding.

The wedding was every bit as lovely as I had imagined it would be. There was something incredibly special about watching two people I've known and cared about for so long officially begin their lives together. I had known Paul for years, and Christy had also become a close friend of mine, so seeing them standing together as husband and wife was a genuinely beautiful moment. And getting to stand beside them as one of Paul's groomsmen made it even more meaningful.

I was honored that Paul had chosen me to be part of his wedding party, and I'm incredibly grateful that my life in Japan didn't prevent me from being there for such an important day. Sometimes, being so far away from home means missing moments like these, so I was especially thankful that I could make the trip back. Unfortunately, the week went by far too quickly.

Before I knew it, the wedding was over, my visit was coming to an end, and it was time to leave again. The day after the wedding, I drove back home, packed my bags, and the very next morning I was on my way back to Japan.

It was a whirlwind of a trip filled with family, friends, good food, a wedding, a broken bottle of wine, and far too many hours spent in airports.

Coming back to Japan reminded me just how much I love my life here. Japan has become an incredibly important part of my life, and returning here felt like coming back to another home. At the same time, spending that week in New Jersey reminded me that no matter how far away I travel or how long I'm gone, there will always be something special about going home.

Eight months was a long time to be away. And while I was very happy to return to Japan, it was just as wonderful to be home again.