omg, it is so beautiful here in ishinomaki! everything growing again, everything so green, and everything looking better. seeing dark flooded fields from the tsunami turning green again really made me feel good. progress is always good!
just down the street from the We Are One Market is a very cool power spot. the earthquake/tsunami wiped out every where else except this temple.
172 stairs to heaven! the higher you get, the more power you feel.
we are miles and miles away from the beach, but the tsunami came up the river, overflowed, and wiped out everything in its path. it came to this point where i am standing. unbelievable.
this rock is huge! the lone survivor of the earthquake/tsunami. just standing under looking at it makes you wonder how it held on. a symbol of hope.
then we went to Hiyori-chan’s beach called Shirahama. this is where she lost everything. it was sad to hear that nothing will ever be rebuilt, but i’m sure Hiyori-chan’s memories will be with her forever. such a beautiful place.
every one in this room lost something. a husband, a brother, a relative, a friend, a friends friend, a house, a shop, or something was taken from them. to me, they are all survivors. throughout these 3.5 years, i’ve seen them all grow, the smiles are back, and things are moving forward. it still amazes me how we all met, each a different way, and a different place. the ocean might have taken away things, but it has also brought us all together, forever.
Kaito-kun is only 16 years old and is such a big kid! we were comparing arms and his was 2x bigger than mine. for the first time, he told me that he wanted to try to surf. my response was “hey Kaito, finish up your dream in canoeing, finish up other sports you want to try, then start surfing. why? because once you start to surf, nothing else will be fun.” haha.
the most liked surfer in the world, Azumi-san. the tsunami brought us 2 surfers together. i really respect and like this guy a lot. i’m still dreaming of the day we can ride waves together.
after Hiyori-chan came back from hawaii earlier this year, she was interviewed for a newspaper. i can’t read japanese but i’m sure it was about something so good.
a smile that can brighten up ones day. i can’t wait till Hiyori-chan comes back to hawaii the end of this year and spend the holiday season with us.
after dinner drinks at Fishbone! yes, we surf, we drink, we have fun, and we surf. that’s our surfers lifestyle.
as i was walking back to my hotel, i passed by these sunflowers. it made me really think of things that happened. i remember being interviewed by the hawaii news during Mission 2. the reporter asked me “how long are you planning on coming here?” i answered, “for 10 years.” well, i lied. i’m not doing this for 10 years, i’m doing this for the rest of my life. these people are not only survivors, these people are my precious friends. the disaster taught me something very important, “love your family, love your friends, and cherish every moment with them.” that’s what i’m doing and it feels so dam good!
