New Year, New Attitude

Hello from New Year's Eve 2012. I haven't posted much lately, mostly because I have been in a big ole funk. I think that the honeymoon period of moving to such an exciting place is over, and the holiday blues set in big time around Thanksgiving. I've been sort of sulking and angry about not being able to attend family weddings, not being home for my mom's Christmas Eve pork roast, and generally feeling estranged and out of sorts here.

Cause here is the thing: Japan is definitely off the charts in terms of an exciting adventure, and we all know I love a good adventure. And I have always dreamed of traveling as a way of life. Since I can remember I envisioned seeing the world in the way the Navy allows us to do. (If you look up the term "wanderlust" you will probably see my picture next to the definition.)

BUT.

But...

At the end of the day, no matter where you live, you still have to go to the grocery store, do the dishes, make your kids go to bed, and wonder when your husband might work normal hours ever again. I don't know if I am just tired from dealing with 2 toddlers, or completely over the Navy's idea of what normal working hours are, or if I'm just getting older. Whatever it is, I am starting to see that settling down might be in my future for the first time in my life.

Don't get me wrong - I am loving giving the boys the opportunity to experience another culture, and I think the coping skills they are (hopefully) learning will be invaluable later. I am just realizing (slowly, of course) that life is so short, it's important to be around family - the ones you were born with as well as the ones you create along the way. On the other hand, we are here in Japan now, so I am going to start the new year off right and vow to make the very most of our time here.

SO, I am ringing in the new year with a new attitude. I am planning on taking advantage of every opportunity, and I am going to stop sulking about the ones I have missed, for whatever reason.

On that note, HAPPY 2013. I will be posting soon about a few day trips we are taking in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, enjoy the new year, wherever you are.

Just Read This Article

I'm feeling sort of blah tonight. Maybe it's the holiday blues; maybe it's because now that I'm settled here I fully understand that 14 - 17 time zones is a damn long way from all my friends and family; maybe it's that the true meaning of "sea duty" is slowly but surely beginning to reveal itself to me and the boys... whatever the reason, I just want to drink a hot toddy and crawl into bed.

However, I did find an article that sort of echos my "Old Vs. New" post from a few weeks ago. It's a list of things about Japan that might surprise you. It made me crack up, which felt good, and it also made me go, "Oh yeah!" Especially #2, which talks about the fact that you will probably always be an outsider here, even if you live here for many years and speak fluent Japanese. Not that I have been here long enough to have really experienced this --- but, one thing I have noticed is that there is no "blending in" here. I mean, in America, no matter what race you are people usually assume you are American unless you open your mouth and have an accent or speak a different language. In Europe it's the same - you can keep your mouth shut and sort of get by. Here, no ma'am. If you're black or white or brown, you are foreign. Enough so that people usually look at you once or twice or smile exxxxtra nicely at your kids. It has been something of interest to me since arriving.

Anyway, just read it, and don't forget to read all the captions under the photos cause that is what made me LOL the hardest:

http://www.cracked.com/article_20118_5-things-nobody-tells-you-about-living-in-japan.html

And don't forget to make yourself a hot toddy before you start reading (thanks for sharing the recipe, Eliza!):

http://www.shutterbean.com/2011/hot-toddy/