Hannah Kobayashi, the 30-year-old Hawaii woman who was the subject of an intensive search, is only now learning about the widespread attention she received after her family reported her missing last month.
Kobayashi said Monday in a letter distributed through Larie Pidgeon, her aunt, that she returned to the U.S. from Mexico on Sunday.
“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.
Hannah Kobayashi.
Kobayashi, of Maui, 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 this month that it appeared Kobayashi deliberately remained in Los Angeles 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.
McDonnell also said investigators have reviewed U.S. Customs and Border Protection video of Kobayashi crossing into Mexico at the San Ysidro pedestrian crossing in San Diego on Nov. 12 at 12:13 p.m.
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, who did not say when or where she was found, said they were grateful she had been located.
In her statement on Monday, Kobayashi said she returned to the US 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.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255text HOME to 741741 or stop by SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
