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ACCOMMODATIONHOKKAIDOHOMESWEETHOSTELTHERECOMESATIMEINEVERYTRAVELLER’STRIPWHENHOMESICKNESSCOMESCALLING.THETIMINGOFITISOFTENWEIRD.WEBOTHFELTTERRIBLYHOMESICKINTHEGALAPAGOSISLANDSONCE,AFTERTRAVELLINGFOR11MONTHS.GIVENTHATIT’SONEOFTHEMOSTHEARTBREAKINGLYUNSPOILEDPLACESONEARTH,ITSHOULDN’THAVEHAPPENED–ITWASN’TLIKEWEWERESHORTOFAMAZINGDISTRACTIONS,ORLIKEWE’DJUSTLEFTHOME.BUTINSTEADOFDRINKINGITALLIN,OURBRAINSTHOUGHTOFPEOPLEINTHEUK,PEOPLEWE’DHAVELOVEDTOHAVEBEENTHEREWITHUS.HOWWOULDMYMUMHAVEREACTEDIFASEALIONTICKLEDHERTOESWITHITSWHISKERS?WHATWOULDKATY’SDADHAVESAIDIFHE’DSEENFRIGATEBIRDSFIGHTINGINMID-AIR?INSTEADOFSTANDINGSLACK-JAWEDINGLEE,WE–BRIEFLY–STARTEDTOFEELQUITEGLUM.SOTHEREARETIMESLIKETHAT.ANDTHENTHERE’STHETHINGSYOUMISS.STUPID,MEANINGLESSTHINGSTHATYOUWOULDPLACELITTLEVALUEONATHOMEBECOMEIMPORTANT.CERTAINFOODSANDDRINKS,YES,BUTOTHERSTUFFTOO,HOMELYSTUFF.HAVINGONLYBEENTRAVELLINGFORAWEEK,OFCOURSEWEHAVEN’TMISSEDANYTHINGYET(ANDKATYBROUGHTAJAROFMARMITE WITHHER,JUSTINCASE).BUTTHATHASN’TSTOPPEDUSFALLINGQUICKLYINLOVEWITHTHEREFOREYOUTHHOSTEL.THEREAFEWREASONSFORIT–THEFACTTHATITREMINDSUSOFOURBRILLIANTYEAROFBACKPACKINGISDEFINITELYONE–BUTREALLYIT’SBECAUSEWE’VEFELTGENUINELYWELCOMEDINTOAKIRAKATO’S(BELOW)HOME.HE’SSHOWEDUSAROUND,HE’SCOOKEDFORUS(MOSTLYUSINGINGREDIENTSFROMHISOWNGARDENORFISHFROMTHELOCALMARKET),ANDEVENTHOUGHHISENGLISHIS,INHISWORDS“VERYLOW”,HE’STRIEDHISDAMNEDESTTOTALKTOUS.HISWIFEEVENBAKEDUSACAKE.DASHINGBETWEENRYOKANSANDHOTELSHASBEENGREATOVERTHELASTSEVENDAYS,BUTIT’SBEENREALLYNICETOFEELLIKEWE’REINSOMEONE’SHOMEDAY7SEPTEMBER21STSHAKOTAN,HOKKAIDO.FORTHEFIRSTTIME.NONEOFTHEDÉCORQUITEMATCHESHERE:THEPLACEHASEVOLVED,NOTBOUGHTINABATCHFROMASHOP.THEBEDSARECOMFORTABLE(THEFACTTHATTHEREAREBEDSATALLHASBEENANICECHANGEFROMTHERYOKANFLOOR–WE’LLEXPLAINTHATTONON-SAVVYTYPESINAFUTUREPOST);THERE’SADOGOUTSIDEINTHEGARDEN;AKIRA’SSONTESTEDHISENGLISHWITHUS;ANDTOMORROWWE’LLALLHAVEBREAKFASTTOGETHER.THERE’SSOMEBADWEATHERSCHEDULEDTOARRIVETONIGHT,BUTOUTHEREONHOKKAIDO’SSHAKOTANPENINSULA,WRAPPEDINDUVETS,KNOWINGTHERE’SAFAMILYNEARBY,WEFEELSOMEHOWMUCHSAFER,MUCHMORESNUG.ANDTHAT,NOMATTERWHEREYOUAREINTHEWORLD,ISLOVELY.6|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECT
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