Goodbye Hannah.....

 ....for one month.

Hannah has started her month of teacher training.  She decided to rent a small service apartment near the school rather than commute over an hour each way.  Even though I felt she should save her money and come home each day I could see that after just one day she was exhausted.  Her training started last Thursday but the apartment wasn't available until Monday.  To get to the school on time she had to get the 6:30 train, and she got back at 8 p.m.  When she got back she was so sick from being tired that she couldn't eat dinner and just went to bed.  One day like that is okay but a whole month would be too much.

Yesterday Mikey and I drove to her apartment to drop off her stuff.  Our biggest suitcase and 4 large boxes of stuff, just for one month!!!  Besides clothes, she needed her textbooks and basic pantry items to start with.  The apartment is furnished and has basic kitchen appliances.  The rent includes utilities which is a big help.

From the entrance, the kitchen on the left, the bathroom and toilet opposite

Tiny kitchen

the one-room half has a bed

 

The other side has a sofa, table, TV and DVD player

a

small bathroom, toilet is separate

Of course, as we were moving her stuff in a white cat came wandering around, so Hannah wants to make friends with it!!!

I treated Mikey and myself to a nice dinner on the way back.  

Dinner

I was surprised at how automated everything was.  To order you used an iPad and a robot bought your food.  Mikey's was bought by a waiter as the plate was very hot.  As much as I enjoy these robots, especially when two were trying to get past each other and ended in a standoff as they tried to figure out who should move where, I missed having a waiter or waitress to try by bad Japanese on.  Also using the robots cuts costs but that isn't reflected in the price, and if I'm going to pay for a meal I would like to speak to a person!!

I promised myself I wouldn't cry but of course I did.  I know this is good and natural but it's hard.  Hannah is still my baby, they all are!!  But she needs this experience and I know it's good for her but still hard!! I'm so grateful for modern technology, I could send Hannah messages and this morning I called her to wake her up (she asked me to do that).