Hanabi in Ashikaga

Today I skipped out on Kyudo practice because of the Ashikaga Fireworks festival and would probably be the last time I would see Laura here in Japan. She would be leaving Monday after off and on (meaning traveling back and forth home and other places) living in Japan for 3 years.

I was in sort of a panic because I hit the bottom of the barrel sort of speak when it came to money today. The money that was deposited I wasn't able to withdraw, and I worried that my bank would fuck up my account until Monday like it did previously before once. So, I thought I wasn't able to go, but apparently I forgot that they don't credit deposits until the next business day, so I had to wait until 1PM (or Midnight in EST) before I could withdraw anything. So, because I didn't go with Beth or Brian, I had to go off of Laura's directions to get to her apartment. I am surprisingly good as a guy in directions, but there were several buildings that could have fit the description of what her building was like. I eventually found it (after getting it confused with the Art Museum below the apartment) and made my way to the top floor of the building.

She has the most amazing view of the sky and Ashikaga from her apartment. It's really nice. Laura, Kyuji, Beth, and Keleih were all there and Yoshiko was apparently away with Brian buying the Obi that she forgot from her kimono. After a little while Yoshiko and Brian returned, Kyle came, Ritsuko and her friend from Taiwan came, and Yoshiko's friend Akira came as well. We were there for the fireworks, but really it was because this was Laura's last weekend in Japan. The fireworks later on were really something and it's amazing how many people can come into the tiny town of Ashikaga.

After the fireworks were over, several of us departed ways, but Kyle, Laura (of course), Yoshiko, I, and Kyuji all stayed for a while and several of us stayed the night over at Laura's apartment, but it would be my last time as she was leaving that Monday to go back to America. We talked about several things about life in general and I received Kyle's information as with Laura leaving and all, she was our only real connection to him. But, with her gone, Karaoke and other trips to places would never really be the same again.