Farewell Erik

2007年 10月 14日
作者: Erik Knear
カテゴリー:

9月に家族と共にアメリカに帰省したエリック先生から、皆さんにメッセージが届いていますので、紹介します。

mus0045aufarewellerik1They say a person’s life is a series of events that can be summed up like chapters in a book. I never fully realized the meaning of this until recently.

I remember, throughout my time in Tsuyama, a number of English teachers head-down with tear filled eyes, telling me how much they were going to miss Japan. I thought I understood how they felt and would give them the standard, “There, there. You’ll be fine…” speech. I had no idea the amount of emotion I would feel when I left would be so overwhelming.

mus0045aufarewellerik2I spent such a large part of my life living, working, and immersing myself in Tsuyama. I couldn’t believe that it was soon all about to be gone… my friends, my students, everything. It was all just too much. The only thing that kept me from breaking down was that my wife Kumiko and our daughter Emily were coming home to California with me. It was very difficult for me to close, up until now, the greatest chapter of my life.

I can’t find the words to thank every single person I have met while in Japan. I’ve said before that the people of Tsuyama were the nicest I have ever met, but looking back on my experience, I mean it more than ever!

Thank you all for making Tsuyama feel like my second home. I can’t wait to see you all again!

Mata ne, Erik

P.S. Never, never, never give up on your path to English… no matter how silly the rules get!