It's been 6 years since the last time I visited Santa Barbara.
I was luckily offered a chance to visit Santa Barbara and stay there for a week at my friend's place.
How lucky I am!
After 6 years, Santa Barbara did not change much.
I am sorry that some stores went out of business.
But, Santa Barbara welcomed me and I sensed the harmonious and healing energy from the city.
In Santa Barbara, you can see a lot of natures, the beach is 5 times more beautiful than some of the beaches in Los Angeles.
Personally, Santa Barbara is a perfect size for me. It's not as big as Los Angeles and not as small as Venice.
They have many Japanese related products you can buy such as at Nikka.
The biggest reason why I visited Santa Barbara was to see my best friend for 9 years, Ayako.
Ayako is my best friend who I met when I was studying at Santa Barbara City College from 2005 until 2007. We kept our friendship and strangely everytime I see her, we are in a different city.
I see her in Osaka, Venice, Long Beach, Uji, and Santa Barbara. We are such a global friends!
She visited me in Venice 2 years ago and she offered me a place to stay in Santa Barbara this time.
She is now happily married to a wonderful husband who was born in Santa Barbara.
Now she is a Japanese princess in Santa Barbara.
She is extremely happy because she recently gave a birth to her first son, Kenzo Ebisu!
To be honest, days I was in Santa Barbara with Ayako flew so fast and I felt like it was a dream.
Her husband Steve and Ayako took me to Solvang which is a small Danish city close to Santa Barbara and we went to a wine tasting!
Santa Barbara's wines are top-notch! You should try some wine tasting in Santa Barbara when you are there!
We had fun time drinking beers, wines, checked out some souvenir stores and I tried fried sweet potato for the first time in my life! It was tasty.
Back in SB, I often went to state's street and tried out some restaurant and some stores.
I reunited my ex classmate and roommate Daniella who is originally from Bulgaria was a almost promising lawyer. She offered me coffees and I love her!
In Santa Barbara, overall, I pulled myself together and I became much more active than before.
Ayako offered me free Karate lessons and my muscles hurt a bit now. I went to beach, I met some old good friends, I ate some delicious oysters, bought a fancy necklace.
I am very content and happy that I visited Santa Barbara!
Thank you so much Santa Barbara and all friends and Steve and the family Muraoka.
I honestly don't know how I survived in USA for 4 years.
I lived in USA from 2005 until 2009.
To be honest, yes there were some days I cried a lot but for sure I never wanted to go back to Japan.
I had the strongest will back then.
And I am grateful that I completed my degree with that determination.
I don't remember why I did not want to go back to Japan so much.
The problem was always money, so I hustled a lot.
I found a job at school, making sandwiches for people from 8 am, I worked some restaurants too. (This way, I found out American people tip well), I got some scholarships etc etc etc.
I became savvy, strong and a hard worker.
Also, I did not have a car so I had to know all the public transportation.
I used bus and trams.
Now, thinking about it, I am never able to do that again.
But again, I am very thankful to myself I did that.
I survived 4 years in USA and gained confidence in me with the Journalism degree from CSULB.
When does my curiosity to travel the world stop?
Or never ends?
I think the last destination is to somewhere I can call home.
Yes, Japan is also a home but I am talking here a different home.
Inevitably, somebody else to create another family with.
Other-half, partner, husband, soul mate whatever you want to name it.
My travel also became a love journey as well.
I am travelling to find myself and also to find my other-half.
Where do I feel to be home except Japan?
Where do I feel myself?
Do I ever find that place?
