Wednesday was different. No routine of riding. Packed up. Loaded up. Drove off in the van. It was a day of transitions. A day of leaving “things” behind only to remain as memories with their associated feelings. Sayonara…

It’s fascinating to me that over the course of a mere week that I would develop such fond affection for four people I just met. That the immersion of sharing riding in Japan, the Japanese culture and time together would have such an affect on me…

Sayonara is not used to say “goodbye” in Japanese for daily life. The reason has a lot to do with the nuances of Japanese culture as “sayonara” has a strong connotation of finality and implies that you will not see the person again. It implies a more solemn farewell than a simple goodbye and is used for “Goodbye forever” or “Goodbye, I don’t know when I’ll see you again” or if you’re not planning to ever come back. NOT TO EVER COME BACK.

I felt this when saying goodbye first to Judy and Tony and even more so when saying goodbye to Ross and Giocomo as that was my last goodbye and the finality of it came over me. I choked up and held back tears knowing I will never come back; will never see them again; will never ride with them through the magical Japan countryside. Knowing that this rich experience – uniquely enhanced by the four of them – was once in my lifetime and that it truly was sayonara. I was overwhelmed with sadness and with appreciation and gratitude for what that sadness represented. 🙏🏼