Sunflower

Kazuno was a very small town which I crossed back and forth in one day. I tried local sweets and rice specialty. I watched locals carefully studying me. I got a chance to see rice harvesting (the old fashion way with a sickle and the modern way with a combiner). Met a very nice family who own a ramen shop and fed us incredible curry dish. And I was able to soak up a lot of sun (a nature’s way of preparing me for what was coming my way in a few short days).

My plan was to stay in Kazuno for 1.5 days but then I met Charlotte. Charlotte was my host in this small town. She is a young Californian who, like so many couchsurfing hosts, is in Japan teaching English.

Charlotte can be easily described as a walking sun. She shines her smile and optimism on anything live and makes it prettier and better. Her enthusiasm is contagious and her vigor for life is intoxicating. I found it very easy to talk to her about things I normally talk to only with close family and few friends. Discussing and sharing our life paths, we were discovering new things about each other and ourselves. We were helping each other grow. We nourished the seed and let our friendship cultivate. Our meeting was not incidental, we knew we “called” for each other from across the world so we could meet and share with each other.

I now have a beautiful sunflower in my life whose name is Charlotte. I will go forth in life, knowing that my life is better today than it was yesterday because I have this wonderful person.