I pitched an idea for an essay to this lovely webzine, publishing articles on being a child of different cultures, and worked with the editor to put together a personal account of how grief comes into returning “home” sometimes.
Writing something so personal for publication was a new experience, as was publishing non-fiction at all. I am proud of it, and of being part of this cool magazine.
We left Yonezawa before 6 a.m., in January. My too-big-for-Japan family clambered into a van with half our belongings crammed into suitcases around us.
We were moving back to the States, and my heart was breaking.