Back to last year, 1st of June 2018, despite bouts of uncertainty, I went ahead and applied for a month of unpaid leave at work. My then boyfriend, was posted to Sendai, Japan, for a business trip for 6 months. I was still amidst of my part-time degree back then, I could not afford to take such a long break even if it meant quitting my job. Praying hard for my unpaid leave to be approved, and yes, it did. Dream came true, I bought an air ticket, my first time on ANA, to Sendai.
A year ago, it was my first time stepping foot in this country. Never did I know much about Sendai, only the Tsunami and Earthquake that hit this beautiful place back in 2011, I practically knew nothing about this place. It definitely was not a popular tourist spot, people usually visits Tokyo, Osaka, Hokkaido for holiday in Japan, but I did not been to either. With just a little research and guidelines from my hubby who was already there for 2 months, I embarked on the journey. First flew to Tokyo, took a domestic transit and landed in Sendai. I heed the instructions given by the hubby, and took a train from Sendai Airport to Sendai Station. I still remembered starring at the extensive train map at the station, not knowing what the hell am I seeing. I have no idea how do I purchase a train tickets and what puzzled me the most was the gantry gates left opened. Am I supposed to walk through it to try my luck if it would be a free trip, or do I need to purchase a ticket? Silly me! Nothing is free in this world. So I headed to the ticketing office, asked a few questions, he then directed me to the ticketing machine to make a purchase. It definitely was not the cheapest train ride, 650Yen, approximately S$7.50 to travel to the central area. It was around 6 stops away from the Airport.
Then I arrived at Sendai Station, everything was amazing. Weather was cold, people of all walks scattered around the station, with me lugging my 21kg luggage, searching for the Nambouku Line Subway Station and praying hard that there was an elevator so I would not have to carry my luggages up and down the stairs. I paid 300Yen to travel on the Nambouku Subway, heading towards Izumi Chuo Station, where my hubby was staying during his business trip. I spent a wonderful 1 month in Sendai, trying different food, heading to Tokyo twice over the weekends by Shinkansen, spent loads of money, and left reluctantly back to Singapore to work and finish my last semester of studies.
Then I arrived at Sendai Station, everything was amazing. Weather was cold, people of all walks scattered around the station, with me lugging my 21kg luggage, searching for the Nambouku Line Subway Station and praying hard that there was an elevator so I would not have to carry my luggages up and down the stairs. I paid 300Yen to travel on the Nambouku Subway, heading towards Izumi Chuo Station, where my hubby was staying during his business trip. I spent a wonderful 1 month in Sendai, trying different food, heading to Tokyo twice over the weekends by Shinkansen, spent loads of money, and left reluctantly back to Singapore to work and finish my last semester of studies.
Fast forward till today, 23rd April 2019, here I am, in Sendai again. I am blessed, I am very very blessed indeed. Many things I thought were not possible, happened to me, one after another. There were so many challenges in my life that I never imagined that I would overcome and eventually accomplish. In 2018, I've been proposed, in 2019, we got married and collected the keys to our lovely house (which is still left empty and untouched till this date, definitely guilty for it), completed my degree (hell fucking yes, please, it took me long enough and was not the easiest journey) and left my job without a job.
I am thankful for the opportunities given to me thus far. I am thankful for my family, who made it easy for me, I am thankful to have met my husband, who completes my life. He is definitely the one who has helped me along the way, big time, encouraging me, accepting the big bitch in me, tolerating my continuous nonsenses. I am thankful. I would not want my life to turn out any way else.
Well, I might have just sidetracked a little, bear with me.
