Travelling from one end of the time zone (Japan, GMT +9 hours) via the other end (Hawaii, GMT -10 hours) to arrive in San Francisco (GMT -7 hours) has given me with the longest 1st of July ever: 42 hours! A lot of time to think about the last 89 days.

After spending the morning at the Kamogawa River sleeping and reading with my feet in the cool mountain water, I had the summer special (Tsukemen with Soy Milk Dashi) at Mamezen. Later, the chef Minoru Yonekawa and his wife Mitsue removed the two floor-to-ceiling windows and we enjoyed the garden from inside the tatami room. One of the moments I hope I will never forget.

ガマズミ – Viburnum dilatatum

How blessed I am to be able to have this experience, to be able to live this life, to have the support of family, friends and, most importantly, my husband Steffen who always supports me, pushes me further and challenges me in my adventures. 感謝です。

When the cab picked me up, I couldn’t believe I actually was leaving and that my 90 days in Kyoto were over. I wasn’t sad, I wasn’t happy – that was just the way it was. I had been here, given my everything and taken in as much as I could. There was nothing left to do – for the moment.