I have just enjoyed the nice pictures of the Welcome Party and it was hurting my heart not to be together with you.
The time is running so fast, I have been living back home for 3 months and sometimes I think living in Japan was just a dream. My family and all my friends are so happy to have me back in Dresden and it is nice for me to have enough time for them. We travelled a lot during summertime, we went to Copenhagen , Prague, Munich , Berlin .
Tomorrow I'm going to start my bicycle tour this year, but it is going to be a light tour, my friends leg is hurting and therefore we are staying at an hotel and doing only day trips.
My daughter Tanja is blossoming out, she is so happy to be back although the demands at school are much harder than at YIS. She has to catch up 2 years in French and she is continuing Japanese once a week with a small private group. And what are the odds there is an exchange student at her school in grade 11, she is Japanese and from Yokohama !!! 
Therefore I think it was the right decision for us to go back without my husband, he is still in Yokohama and sometimes unhappy. He visited us only twice since we left, because he has too much work.
And I'm trying to organize our life, it is a lot to do after 4 years, the garden is a jungle and the house does not fit me any more. It needs some reconstruction and I do a lot by myself. I love to do things with my own hands. My former company is also asking for my manpower but I will wait until Micha is back in Germany .
The autumn this year it is wonderful, sunshine every day and only since yesterday we need to start the heater. Every Thursday I go with a friend in a forest and we look for mushrooms. It is so good for me be nature . My friend is at home together with his wife to take care of their baby. It is new an so nice, since 2 years the father of a new born child can take off two month from his work with income.
Something has changed in Germany , the people are more friendly then before. But very often I think they should go to Japan and have a look how everything works.
I miss Japan , my friends, the food (I'm so glad I learned a lot from Yaji), the Ikebana lesson and and and.... Japan.
I want to thank each of you making my experience here in Japan memorable one. I will always be thankful.
I was talking about it already. I wish I could get a chance to give back a part of hospitality, please visit me in Germany .
Love Heike
