Japan – Day 8

On the eighth day of my trip to Japan, I ventured out to the Hoheikyo Onsen located about an hour-and-45-minute ride south of my homestay. April was nice enough to walk me to the station so we could chat a little before I headed out (and let’s be honest, she was helping me make sure I was on the right train). In Japan, talking on the phone on trains is a strong faux pas. My kids, however, were pretty desperate to talk to me, so I took a quick call. I told them ahead of time that I wouldn’t be able to say much because I didn’t want to come across as a rude gaijin. The kids didn’t really get why I wasn’t speaking much, instead just nodding into the camera, even though they were told why beforehand. Andrea explained to them that what I was doing, talking on the train, was very rude. I felt like I wasn’t offensive, but she was probably right, and I shouldn’t have tried for the FaceTime call. Still, I felt for the kids — this was the longest time I’d ever been away. I got to the station in…