Hannah Kobayashi, the 30-year-old Maui woman who was the subject of an intensive search, is speaking out for the first time since her family reported her missing last month.
Kobayashi said Monday, Dec. 16, in a letter distributed through her aunt, Larie Pidgeon, that she returned to the United States from Mexico on Sunday and is only now hearing about the widespread attention she received.
“I was oblivious to everything that was happening in the media while I was away, and I’m still processing it all,” she said in the statement.
The Hawaiian woman arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on Nov. 8 but missed a connecting flight to New York City, family members said.
Her family became alarmed a few days later when she stopped communicating with them, they said. They reported her missing on Nov. 13, with Los Angeles police taking over the case on Nov. 15, police said.
Family members were particularly concerned about the security video showing an unknown man with Kobayashi in Los Angeles, but police said they investigated and found no wrongdoing.
Kobayashi planned to travel to New York to visit museums and galleries as part of her goal of becoming an artist, Pidgeon said.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said earlier this month that it appeared Kobayashi deliberately stayed in LA and cut off communications on his own. He said her luggage was diverted to Los Angeles International Airport after she missed her flight to New York City.
The chief also said investigators had reviewed U.S. Customs and Border Protection video of Kobayashi entering Mexico at the San Ysidro pedestrian crossing in San Diego at 12:13 a.m. on Nov. 12.
While he said the woman was free to travel, he urged her to contact concerned relatives, some of whom flew to Los Angeles from Hawaii and other parts of the country to coordinate their search.
On Nov. 24, after relatives gathered in Los Angeles, her father died by suicide near Los Angeles International Airport, police said.
Last week, Kobayashi’s family said she had been found safe. Her mother and sister did not say when or where she was found, but said they were grateful she had been located.
In her statement on Monday, Kobayahsi said she returned to the United States at dawn on Sunday, without providing details of her experience.
“My focus now is on my healing, my peace and my creativity,” she said.
“I am deeply grateful to my family and everyone who has shown me kindness and compassion during this time.”
This story first appeared on NBCNews.com.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
