Atsuko Okatsuka

You know, I was saying like he missed out on, you know, my choir days or cheerleading days and stuff like that.

But also he kind of missed out on

you know, me struggling in my comedy career, right?

Like trying to figure it out.

I said, okay, finally, let's try this stand-up thing.

And, you know, it's wild that after years of trying it, years of doubting myself, maybe I'll go to like art school instead as a backup plan, which is a terrible backup plan, right?

Why go linear?

Yeah.

My, with also an unemployment, I got a degree in creative writing.

No, this is art school.

So creative writing is literally like, if you want to turn in two words, that's your thesis.

You know, it's like that.

So, you know, he missed out on those years, but then I was developing my voice.

And then when we met again, right, it was me doing an international tour back in Japan to thousands of strangers who know who I am in Japan.

When you come back from like work or school, you say, I'm home.

And your family members go, welcome home.

And so on that show where my dad was there, I tried saying it.

I said, I'm home to these Japanese audiences.

And all thousands of them together said, welcome home.

And I was like, I almost broke down and cried.