Junpei « John » Nakamura

The son of Japanese immigrants, Junpei Nakamura, known as John to most, is a 72-year-old retired mathematics teacher from Fresno, California. After decades spent shaping young minds, he’s now on a quiet journey across the country to attend his grandson’s graduation in Texas; a milestone that stirs both pride and reflection. The Newton Motel was not a planned stop, but fatigue and desert silence convinced him to pause. Alone in his room, John doesn’t seek conversation; he sits by the window, letting the light shift across the floorboards, thinking about time, family, and how far one can travel, in miles and in life, without ever really leaving the past behind.