JOURNEY TO JAPAN POST#1 Here we are at Tampa International Airport, waiting in the Delta airport lounge, about to go on the most anticipated trip of the year! It all started with a challenge! Our daughter, Victoria is a self taught digital artist fascinated by anime and everything Japanese. In 2022, she asked, “Mom, do you think you and Dad could take me to Japan one day?” I told her yes, but not before she learned Japanese to be our tour guide. Ken and I have been to Japan, but it’s been nearly two decades ago. She confidently answered, “Okay, Mom!” In my mind, this was going to take 5 to 10 years. What I didn’t remember was a few years prior, I found a notebook that had Japanese language characters from front to back. I brought it to her to inquire what was happening, and she said she was practicing the language because she wanted to be fluent. I’ll share more details about this journey, but what I would like to share is that she learned how to read and write the language and is now able to hold a conversation in Japanese. Victoria is now on her way to experience that trip that we promised; the trip that she earned. I smiled and mocked myself for not getting further than I was with the foreign language I studied. Meanwhile, my 11-year-old child took the initiative to begin studying a language that doesn’t have an alphabet like English. Victoria was excited and eager to begin learning; she started watching YouTube videos where she learned the first two of the three languages. The Japanese language has three types of characters: Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Hiragana and Katakana are phonetic symbols, each representing one syllable, while Kanji is an ideogram, each representing a particular meaning. She learned the first two and needed additional help in learning Kanji. Yes, I’m impressed by her, and she inspires me. In August of 2022, she asked for a tutor. Without hesitation, I commended her and began my search for Japanese tutors. I interviewed the first one I found and hired her. Soon after, a friend in Japan asked me if I was still searching for a tutor. I told her that I found someone. She recommended that I give her friend a try. The tutor friend lives in Japan and attends church with her. We interviewed her and decided to try a few lessons with her while taking weekly lessons from the other tutor. The tutor, who lives in Japan, recently decided to teach English students Japanese, and Victoria became her first American student. I told Victoria she would have to choose between the two tutors because I couldn’t afford both. I asked her which tutor she decided to retain, and she said the one that lives in Japan. I asked why. She said, “She holds me more accountable for my homework!” I giggled, shook my head in disbelief at my 13-year-old, and asked myself, “Who is this kid?” Of course, we signed up for weekly lessons. Within eight months of classes with Miss Yumi, Victoria said, “I think I’m ready for Japan!” I confirmed with Miss Yumi that she can hold a solid conversation as a tourist, and she said Victoria is ready! We happened to be in San Francisco during these conversations and took her to Japan Town so we could observe her as she conversed with the vendors, and they understood what she was asking in Japanese and her responses. We were convinced! What about our plans to visit France and England this Summer? Well, that has now changed. There was no way we would delay our daughter from fulfilling her dreams, which she has earned. While celebrating my birthday in San Francisco, we booked flights to Tokyo, Japan, and here we are about to make Victoria’s dream come true! Now that you’ve been briefed about the journey leading to this trip, let’s get back to the airport lounge. Although we were not big fans of the breakfast provided, we were still thankful for the space to relax without travelers scurrying by us in a hurry trying to catch their flights. We had one hour and 23 minutes until boarding time, so with that time to spare, we began to chat about what to expect on the trip. Ken brought up shopping and how convenient it will be for Victoria when she joins her friend Ruby at the mall since she has her credit card. Ruby is Miss Yumi’s daughter, and she is also 14 years old. Victoria gave an uncomfortable look, and we knew something was wrong. We asked if she was okay, and she responded ‘No, I forgot my credit card.” Ken asked, “You forgot your credit card? Of all things, Victoria?” Her dad was disappointed that she forgot it because we applied for the card, especially for this trip. My mom-brain, coupled with my Army officer-brain, went into strategy mode. First of all, how much time do we have? By now, we have one hour and 17 minutes left. I could wake up my brother, who’s house sitting, and instruct him where to find Victoria’s bag in her closet with the Disney wallet, as she describes it. It seemed like it would take forever. I quickly calculated how long it would take for me to go to the house and get these items. I would risk potentially missing my flight to Atlanta and Tokyo because the connection time wasn’t long. Here we are at Tampa International Airport, waiting in the Delta airport lounge, about to go on the most anticipated trip of the year! It all started with a challenge! Our daughter, Victoria is a self taught digital artist fascinated by anime and everything Japanese. In 2022, she asked, “Mom, do you think you and Dad could take me to Japan one day?” I told her yes, but not before she learned Japanese to be our tour guide. Ken and I have been to Japan, but it’s been nearly two decades ago. She confidently answered, “Okay, Mom!” In my mind, this was going to take 5 to 10 years. What I didn’t remember was a few years prior, I found a notebook that had Japanese language characters from front to back. I brought it to her to inquire what was happening, and she said she was practicing the language because she wanted to be fluent. I’ll share more details about this journey, but what I would like to share is that she learned how to read and write the language and is now able to hold a conversation in Japanese. Victoria is now on her way to experience that trip that we promised; the trip that she earned. If I go back to the house, a simple car accident would ruin my timeline. Did I make it back to the airport on time?
This story will continue in posts titled “Journey To Japan.” Please follow and encourage Victoria on her social media pages at @victoriareyesart https://www.instagram.com/victoriareyesart. Subscribe to our channel for videos on our journey like travel trips including Japan. We will begin posting when we return from our trip. Thank you. http://Www.YouTube.com/houseofreyes