I forget sometimes that Japan and I are connected. I forget that I spent 15 years eating, speaking, breathing, experiencing Japan. It's become a distant thought in my mind, something with only an abstract impact on the day to day. The difference between me and the rest of American used to constantly reminded of Japan. Slang, dress, cultural understanding; almost daily my ignorance of these whispered in my ear you come from another place.

The bond between me and the culture of my childhood has grown ever thinner. It makes me sad... and yet it's somewhat necessary. No one can live forever in the shadow of their past--good or bad. Time moves us on to new experiences, new friends, new vocabulary, new vision. Japan was the building block of my early life. It proposed challenges that I had to overcome, things which I'm sure have made me stronger. It opened my eyes to a completely different system of human existence, one which I understand intrinsically and can use to empathize with other cultures....

But no matter how much time passes or how weak the connection becomes, there will still be those moments when everyone knows what everyone else is talking about and I have no idea. In those moments, I remember my bond with Japan and smile. I'm still a third culture kid, no matter how old and cultured I get.