What I wouldn't do for a hug right now. Not just any hug, but a hug from certain individuals. Everyone hugs differently and we come to rely on certain hugs from certain people to bring us joy, give us comfort, and connect us with the other person.
Don't get me wrong - my husband and son are doing their best in the hug department. I love getting hugs from both of them. Those two fill my love cup regularly. I'm missing hugs from my loved ones in the US.
Since moving to Japan, I've gone back to the US every six months or so. At this point, I have not been back for six months, but it feels like so much longer! The US is feeling even further away than normal because I don't know when I will be able to go back for a visit.
For the past two months, Japan has required all foreign residents to get special permission to re-enter from the Justice Ministry. While this seems like a simple hurdle, the fact of the matter is that the Justice Ministry is not releasing what is and is not a valid reason for travel outside Japan. And they aren't planning on letting people know the rules any time soon.
This means I am free to leave at any time, but I can't come back! Since our livelihood and home are currently in Japan, this makes for a lot of stress. What if I need to go see a sick or hurt family member? Or worse? NHK just ran a story about a man being denied a re-entry permit to attend his mother's funeral (click here for the article). At what point will it be okay to travel and can I guarantee I will be allowed back in?
I keep having dreams about getting to immigration at the airport. They let my husband and son through and then block me from entering - sending me screaming back to the US without my family. It is an excruciating way to wake up.
As Japan reopens following the end of the state of emergency, we see walls being removed and people able to leave the confines of their homes. But for me, the walls just moved a little bit. They are still very much there. The walls have an exit, but no way to return.
No matter how much I want to see and hug my friends and family, it isn't going to happen any time soon. And it crushes me to know this.
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