So, the question that everyone wants an answer to: “How’s married life?” For those of you who have made this leap of faith, you’ll understand, I hope, when I say, “It’s wonderful!!” For those of you who are on the fence, decide what side you want to be on and make the jump, otherwise, you’re just wasting precious time- yours and her/his.
Our wedding was absolutely beautiful- as simply as I can state it. The sky was clear and blue, the sun shining, and a light breeze blew, helping cool those of us in black suits about to make the most important promise possible to another human being- okay, so I’m referring myself. We were also blessed with the last remaining cherry blossoms, dancing among the trees overhead, along with the array of spring flowers of every color and scent, spread about the park. It was truly the setting I had always imagined and beyond.
The following day, we left on a plane to Bali. It was my first experi-ence of the tropics and it was as close to paradise as anything I have ever encountered. The people were beautiful and the sites of the clear, blue ocean and white sands were amazing. We also had the pleasure of a private villa overlooking the lush, green rice terraces of the countryside. It was there that we enjoyed our time most. We took a bicycle ride into the small neighboring towns and had the opportunity to visit a school, eat traditional Balinese fare, and do our best at making conversation with people who we didn’t share a common language with. Truly, a lovely memory. With the Grace of Allah, we will return there someday.
Over the summer, we spent nearly a month in the States. It was much more than a vacation for me; for me, it was really paying homage; doing so with my wife was all the more meaningful. We began in Spokane, where I was fortunate enough to see two of my best friends, John, who I hadn’t seen in two years, and Chris, who I hadn’t seen in five. John was visiting from Georgia on for a perspective job opportunity with the engineering division of the city, and Chris was preparing for a trip to Kuwait to teach English. Seeing both of them was a real Blessing.
Following our stay in Spokane, we spent a few days with my dad before leaving for Southern Idaho, to pay my respects to my deceased loved ones, and to share my early childhood memories with Tsugumi. While in St. Maries, dad took us for a boat ride up the St. Joe and the next day, we bicycled along the lake, which was stunning. Tsugumi and Koreena made a fresh past meal that, in the words of Arlo Guthrie, "couldn’t be beat." The next morning, we jumped into the car and headed south. Our first stop was St. Gertrude’s, the convent where my mother attended boarding school and where my beloved godmother was laid to rest. The Sisters at the convent welcomed us with open arms an accommodated us for the night. We awoke to share a breakfast of homemade bread and jam- a fond memory was recalled as one my godmother’s duties was baking bread, along with other fare harvested from the garden behind the chapel. We attended Mass where I was able to enjoy the praises of God and be comforted by memories of my godmother’s angelic voice in the choir. We said offered our thanks and continued our way to Nampa to pay respects to my grandparents.
We arrived several hours later and checked into our hotel- the Super 8 that I had passed a hundred times or more riding in the seat next to my grandparents. It was always one of the first landmarks I remember seeing just before arriving to their neighborhood. After dropping off our bags, we visited the cemeteries of both sides of my family where I prayed for their souls and left small arrangements of flowers.
We visited the house where my mother grew up and where some my fondest memories were made. We visited the post office where my granddad worked for 20 years, and had dinner that the Pizza Hut where my grandpa used to take me for lunch as a child. That evening, we visited the Capitol, a trip I don’t recall before making. The next morning, we had breakfast at the restaurant my granddad had taken me to so many times before. We sat across the isle from a kind, elderly woman who was eating by herself. We talked with her briefly and I wondered how many times my granddad had done the same. It wouldn’t surprise me if they knew each other- a question I failed to consider until now.
After leaving Nampa, we made our trip across the western side of the state, and through the entire width of Oregon, to Cape Lookout, a campground that I first visited, with my mom, when I was 14. It was great to be on the Oregon Coast again, with its bright, sunny days, cool winds, and foggy mornings. A landslide had occurred months before, altering our plans for a day hike through the forest to a walk along the south part of beach to explore what had been washed off the side of the mountain. It was actually very interesting to see how the slide had changed the beachfront through the shifting of the tide patterns.
After a few days of braving the ice cold waters of the Pacific, we made our way north towards Seattle, stopping in at Powell’s Bookstore- a bookworm’s dream come true, where we spent a considerable amount of time, and money. We also had an overnight stay in Longview, at the Warner’s, friends of my family going back to my dad’s childhood. In fact, my dad used to play in the same yard that surrounds their home when he was a child. Although our visit was far too brief, it was great to see them.Before arriving to Seattle, we stopped in Olympia and toured the Capitol grounds before stopping into the Voyeur for the tastiest home cooked meal money can buy. Seattle welcomed us with a traffic jam that set us back an hour or more. My friend and former colleague at the international school, Chuck, gave us the keys to his home while, ironically, he was vacationing in Japan with his family. We returned the favor. It was actually Chuck who had the greatest influence in my decision to come to Japan. Had I not met him, it would have been unlikely that I would have accepted the offer. Unbeknownst to me, he had taken the same opportunity years before and after about six hours of showing me home movies, photo albums, and sharing his memories, I decided to make the call and accept the offer. The words of Brother Kariem also echoed in my mind when he related that Allah had created a vast world so that we could see and appreciate it in all its wonder and beauty.
We spent a few days in Seattle, visiting friends and places I frequented during the five years I lived there before leaving to Japan. Time is always short, but we managed to take in quite a few sites. We rented bicycles and toured the great districts Seattle has to offer and visited as many vegan spots as our bellies would allow. We even managed to take in a Storm game and an incredible performance by Ahmad Jamal- both of which were surprises to Tsugumi. Summer in Seattle is a wonderful time. I really miss that city and the friends I left behind.
Our next stop was across the boarder in Vancouver, BC. Of all the places I have been to, Vancouver tops my list of most desired places to live. It has everything: it’s ethnically and religiously diverse and open, vegan friendly, clean, and the weather is perfect. Surrounded by the huge evergreen mountains of the Coastal Range, and set alongside the Pacific Georgia Straight, who could ask for more? It was definitely our favorite spot along the way. Our visit was only a few days length, but we were able to see at least some of what it has to offer, and of course, we stopped into the bakery at Grandville Island for some Fig-Anise artisan bread, the best bread on the planet! Stanly park was beautiful, as always, and listening to languages from around the world being spoken by passers by was enjoyable as well.
We then headed back to Spokane along the Canadian highway, a breathtaking scene. The mountains in all their splendor, and the fruit trees blanketing the valleys were truly magnificent. Just before making our way back across the boarder, we stopped in at an amazing Italian restaurant. The name escapes me; it had previously been a private Victorian fashioned home. It sits on a hillside, overlooking the small town below. We finished our dinner while the sun was setting behind the mountains across the valley, coloring everything below in shades of burnt orange and deep red. We jumped into the Subaru and made our way into Spokane just after 11pm.
Our second visit was reserved for mom. It was great spending time with two of the most loved women in my life. We visited Riverfront Park, rode the Carousel, toured the shops at the Flourmill, and downtown. We also took an afternoon to trek around Riverside State Park and Manito, where we had lunch. Mom and Tsuchan made banana bread that I ate far too much of. Before we left, we hit Europa, where we saw Jenny, one of my professors, who is dear to my heart, who we had met for coffee during our first visit. I ordered a great vegan calzone, perhaps the single best meal Spokane has to offer.
We made one more visit to Chuck’s house before coming back to Japan. He had recently returned from his vacation and again opened his home to us. He treated us to a great dinner at a Chinese restaurant in the International District and we exchanged stories about our travels. He rose early the next morning to escort us the airport. It was great to see him but again, time was short.
A trip of this kind happens seldom, if ever, in one’s life. I am truly grateful for all my friends and family who breathed life into this special time, creating again, more wonderful memories that I look forward to recounting in the future, insha’Allah.
