In ’95, after I visited Tokyo with my parents, I decided I wanted to live in Japan. So the next year, I moved there and started living my dream. I also met my dream girl there and we got married. However, her longtime dream was to live in the States, and a couple years later when the opportunity arose to move back, we decided to take it. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel any regret, however, meeting new friends and having two wonderful kids in Texas has been pretty damn awesome!

Our recent trip back to Japan reminded me of just how great it was when we lived there, and Mariko and I have talked about about moving back when the kids leave the nest. This got me really excited, and actually every time I think about moving back there (even if it will be 15 long years down the road) I get butterflies in my stomach.

It’s funny how my attitude has changed. It used to be that when I thought about Japan, I felt melancholy from the memories of the life we had there in the past. But now when I think about Japan, I am thinking about the life we will have there in the future. Lots of butterlies right now!