Vero Beach!

Here in Vero Beach it is unseasonably warm I've heard...usually now it is in the upper lower to mid 70's and this year it is in the 80's. Not that I'm complaining mind you...it's warmer than Kumamoto this time of year for sure. I came here (Sebastian actually) to visit my mom who's getting older and I wanted to have ample time left with her. She has a disease in which her vertebrae fuse together due to arthritic conditions.

Vero Beach is in Central Eastern Florida by the way. South of Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral. Beautiful and little known spot. There are some snowbirds here, and lots of money, but it is not as populated as some other places here in Florida. Got here on 12/23. On 12/24 met my Heather and Lilly and Peter and went shopping. Had a great dinner. On X-mas Day, opened presents, and then went to the beach. Had the big X-mas din din. 12/26 - rented some bikes and rode along the Intracoastal Waterway. Then shopping and dinner in downtown Vero Beach.

Yesterday...to the UDT Navy Seals museum, and to the movies to see Spectre. Then today to Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center. I've had a busy time so far, and am trying to take mental notes regarding tourism here in Florida. I hope to get on some ecotourism trails/sites tomorrow. And I'll probably head to the beach again. And then...off to downtown Vero Beach for First Night, a New Year's Eve countdown party on the water with live music and food trucks. Awesome, I'm sure.

It's kind of strange to be back in the states for this winter/Christmas/New Year's vacation, rather than in Japan and having New Years there. Different, but both equally as great. And both are home.

A Writing Experience

A great experience happened to me when I was 13 as an 8th grader, or 2nd year junior high school student as they say here in Japan. Before I tell you about this experience, I must fill you in on my school back in those days. I was lucky enough to go to a small private school, located in the middle of the beautiful Laurel Mountains in Western Pennsylvania. The school was small, and founded by the Mellon family of the prominent Mellon Bank history. In fact, I was classmates and friends with the Mellon children. At any rate, the scenery was incredible in the mountains, and our school was on the banks of a rushing river surrounded by swaying pine trees. My family lived in the nearby town of Greensburg, so named for it's own towering trees, about 40 miles away. As such, we had to take a long bus ride to school every morning and evening, a feat which I endured (but now have found memories of) for eight years. The teacher-student ratio was about 8 to 1; in fact, in my whole class there were only about 10 or 11 people. It was a great experience. I'm happy to say the school still lives on.

Now on to the experience. A writing contest was offered by the Daughters of the American Revolution, or DAR. Some of you may be aware of this organization. They work to keep the memory of the Revolution alive. Since this group sponsored the contest, the theme was to be kept around the focus of that drastic time, but could be related to any event and could be fiction or non-fiction. At first I had to think long and hard what to write about. I knew I wanted to make it fiction. Should I create a character? In what situation should I involve my character? What will happen? I thought too much, became confused. I approached my father with my predicament. "What direction should I take this writing?" I asked. He thought. He came back with an idea: why not write a series of letters from a war-torn soldier on the battlefield to his mother back at home? I imagined what I could do with that premise. I thought long and hard and asked my parents for ideas, advice. I let my parents read the stories as I wrote. They gave more advice, I wrote, revised, wrote more. Finally, the deadline was approaching, and I was done. I was ready...to...submit my letters...to the contest...heart beat, sweat, fast pulse. I did it. Took the plunge. Submitted the letters. I waited for a month.

Finally, a letter arrived at my house about the contest. I was afraid to open it. Nervous, more sweat, fast pulse. I was afraid to read it, so my mother read it for me. A smile came on her face. She read, "first prize..." not me. Second prize, again, another student. Third prize, Jeff Morrow! I was happy when I heard this news. Out of the whole school (however small it was), I, Jeff, had won third. I was happy! Even though I did not win first or second, I was still a winner, happy and proud. I framed the letter. When we received our awards at a special lunch, I was photographed, praised, and commended. Whenever I felt like I couldn't do something, I looked at that letter. I knew that with a little drive and ambition, I could do many, many things. I have, but I still try to do more. I find that it's the things I don't try or ideas that I don't act on that are the most regrettable. This should be a lesson: act on things, because you never know when the chance might be gone forever.

My Winter Vacation Plans

This winter vacation, or Christmas Holiday, as I like to put it, will find me flying over the Pacific Ocean once again in route to the USA for the holidays. I will leave on December 23rd actually, just 2 days away. Am I nervous? Not really. I've flown back and forth so many times that it's no big deal. The length and direction of the flights are slightly different for me, though. Being from Pennsylvania my course used to take me from Fukuoka to Narita to Chicago to Pittsburgh, where I would get picked up by fam.  But alas, time changes. Mom now lives in Florida (warm, so I'm not complaining) so this time I will fly from Fukuoka to Narita as usual. Then I will get on the great winged big silver bird in Narita to America's capital, Dulles Airport in Washington, DC. Once there I have to jump on another flight to Orlando, Florida, the home of, yes, Disney World, where I'll be picked up by Mom, Henry (Mom's BF), possibly sister Heather, and maybe, Mom's dog tootsie. Once in Florida, I'll settle down for a rest, and then will celebrate Christmas Eve (cheese and crackers, wine, and opening just one present), Christmas Day (opening ALL the other presents), and a big holiday dinner of filet of beef (my family's X-mas traditional dinner), mashed potatoes, gravy, etc., etc. Then we'll chill Dec. 26-30 shopping, going to the beach, playing in the sun, eating raw oysters and hanging round. I'll actually be there for New Year's Eve and Day for the first time in about 12 years! So I'll make it a point to go out somewhere for a countdown paaaaaarty! I'm kind of sorry I won't be around Kumamoto for the holidays cause it's my second home. This is the first year I won't be here in ages, but Mom's get older, and it's time I went for the holidays to be with her and the rest of the family. I'm sure it won't be the last time, but you never know, and that's exactly the point. See you all in lovely Kumamoto when I arrive back safely with plenty of souvenirs from "the states" on January 6th!

Turtle Island

My trip to Turtle Island, a small island near the island of Borneo, was one of the best experiences I have ever had. Turtle Island is known for the place where giant sea turtles come on land to dig holes in the sand and lay their eggs. It is a very small island, and you must make reservations far in advance. In addition, you must take a small boat to get there from the main island of Borneo. There is only one hotel on the island, and dinner and breakfast are served buffet style. Once there, you are placed into groups, and then you are taught about watching the process of sea turtles laying eggs. The baby turtles are very delicate and you must not disturb them. The turtles usually come to the island in the middle of the night to early morning. After the turtle education you must wait until your group is called. Once called, you are guided out to the shore, and the guide holds the flashlight while everyone has a chance to watch the turtles laying eggs. The whole process takes about an hour, and while you are watching, you have the opportunity to take pictures and videos of the turtles and the eggs. It takes about a month for the baby turtles to hatch. The guide explains the process and you can watch other baby turtles in action! It was a fantastic experience, and one that I will never forget having. It was very natural to see the turtles laying eggs, and I felt very close to nature from this experience. I became much more interesting in nature, the environment, and ecotourism from this experience. It’s a place everyone should go!