One year since Expo 2025 Osaka closed!

And in many ways, I'm still there! As I continue to write books inspired by my experiences, I continue to revisit the people, conversations, discoveries, and moments that made those six months so extraordinary.

More than an exhibition. It was a classroom.

Across my 40 visits:

• I learned about rich maritime traditions in countries I had always associated with deserts, like Kuwait and the UAE.

• I discovered how Japan's centuries-old connection with Portugal lives on in Japanese words of Portuguese origin still used today, and how the Spain Pavilion highlighted an unexpected connection through the Kuroshio Current.

• I explored innovations offering new possibilities for healthier, safer, and more sustainable lives.

And then there were the people and moments that made it unforgettable.

• Mi-chan, to whom I dedicated the Indonesia chapter in my book. We met on the train to the Expo and became so engrossed in talking about it that we got off at the wrong station! We didn't realize our mistake until we were almost out of the station. We've been great friends ever since.

• Yoko, my fellow "Expo Girl," who shared my enthusiasm for the Expo and saw the same incredible value and potential in what it represented.

• The little Japanese boy shaking hands with a staff member at the Kenya Pavilion. I wanted so badly to capture that moment, but I couldn't get to my camera in time. Those two hands clasped together represented the spirit of the Expo to me more than anything else.

But what matters now is what we carry forward.

The Expo's theme, "Designing Future Society for Our Lives," challenged us not just to imagine a better future, but to help create one through the conversations we continue, the connections we nurture, the curiosity that keeps us learning, and the ideas we turn into action.

One experience that continues to shape my thinking came from the Luxembourg Pavilion. Their exhibits opened with a series of videos featuring people of different nationalities sharing their experiences of living and working in Luxembourg, a small country with a remarkably multicultural society. They spoke about community, diversity, culture, and innovation.

For me, the message was clear: diversity becomes a strength when people have opportunities to share ideas, ask questions, listen, and collaborate.

It's a lesson I carry into my business communications coaching, particularly when helping professionals communicate and collaborate in global teams.

It also inspired me to write "Osaka Expo Adventures A–Z", turning my Expo experiences into opportunities for English learning, conversation practice, and cultural discovery, especially for learners in Japan.

Volume 1 (A–M) is available now, Volume 2 (N–Z) is coming in November, and enrollment for my book-based English course opens next week.

The Expo may have ended, but the possibilities it inspired continue.