Long distance relationships are not easy.  I don’t think anyone will disagree with the statement.

As I write this, Reiko is on her way back to Japan on a fully loaded Air Canada jet.  I really hope that she’s comfortable during the flight as an 11 hour journey is tiring even under the best of conditions, but much harder when the surroundings prevent you from enjoying the trip.

On the way back from Ontario I was becoming restless on the plane 90 minutes into the 4.5 hour flight.  From the first moment of discomfort, the rest of the travel time seems prolonged.  I had been able to get the window seat, but the two people next to me seemed to go comatose shortly after take-off.  This made it impossible to get up and stretch my legs or even go to the washroom.  Perhaps if I was more forceful with my communications, these people might have woken up to move … but I didn’t have to go quite that badly.  Oddly enough, they slept right up until the plane hit the runway in Vancouver.  That slight jarring was enough to bring them back to life.

Must be nice.

But now that Reiko is gone, I’ll need to once again turn my attention to other matters.  For the moment, studying Japanese, completing the paperwork necessary for school and work, and completing a potentially saleable NAS device are my top priorities.  With all these in place, I should be able to find work in Japan for this coming Fall/Winter season … hopefully sooner.

I’ve lived alone for almost a decade, with only short periods of time where someone would share a home with me.  This has given me quite a bit of freedom to come and go as I please, and handle maintenance and other items at my leisure.  When Reiko leaves, though, my home feels more empty than it was the day I first moved in.  Hopefully this will be the last time I need to say goodbye to Reiko at the airport.