The empty house

Well. By 4pm Wednesday the entire house was emptied of vestiges of Joyce and I stood staring at my flowers -- the last thing that seemed to be a part of my life in Okinawa in the apartment -- waiting for my successor to arrive. Those were my last moments of quiet contemplation in my house before ownership moved on to someone else. It is sad leaving my little house, which has become very dear to me over the course of the year. It is odd to be sharing it with my successor these past 2 days: realizing that all "my" things really belong to her now, and watching her clothes get hung on my rack and toothbrush sitting in my holder. It was an accidental overlap due to a mix-up in her arrival date, I hadn't planned to be here at the same time as here. It has worked out well though seeing as I can show her around and stuff.

I almost feel like a ghost here. It just so happened that almost all my close friends left Okinawa a few days before me on trips, leaving me alone my last couple days (guilt trip, guilt trip, guilt trip!)
But! When I've started feeling too much like my life in Okinawa has suddenly disappeared these last few days, I just stop to sniff my flowers (a gift from Jeffu on his and Jon's last day here) and that cheers me up. Tomorrow I leave in the afternoon on the bus to Naha, to stay at Deej's (empty) pad for one night in order to easily arrive at the airport early Sunday morning. I think I will post one or two more things tomorrow morning on the blog... a final farewell to Okinawa!