I've decided, considering my propensity for forgetting things and equally understandable inclination to record everything in journals, that I may as well write a blog for the whole year of 2018.
But...with that said I've actually already written some blogs throughout the rest of the year, so here are just a few of the highlights to catch up. Or just watch the music video that I just made for 2018 (obviously I've got a music video problem.) I've gone through and put in links to all the applicable blogs and videos for this year if you missed anything the first time. (And maybe I'm just a little OCD and enjoy using hyperlinks and organizing things.)
January - I officially moved out of Utah, my home for the past 8 years, and hopefully did my last road trip home. I got to spend some quality time in Arkansas with my family, and my roommates came to visit as well. The idea of one month apart was too much (I hope we can all handle me going to Japan.) We had a great time in Saint Louis and AR! After dropping them off I drove to Illinois to see Jen and spent a week with her. I decided road tripping is so much fun that I'd do it again and go to TN to see Chad and Bri for a week.
February - I did my final (for a while anyway) road trip home to spend my last 2 weeks with my family. Then it was time for Korea. You know the saying, "Those who can't marry travel. And those who can't get a boyfriend do international flights on Valentines Day." Korea was crazy, Sapporo was freezing but I saw my family #2, the Tsujimoos. Shizuoka with Natasha was a blast and a glimpse into my own life that I'd be starting soon, and then it was time for Tokyo.
March - I stayed with Papa for a few days in Tokyo, had my first birthday in Japan, and then it was time for training. After spending a week with everyone, making friends, and meeting my future roommate, it was time to move into my own apartment IN JAPAN!
(Here's a blog that pretty much sums up those first 3 months.)
April - More settling in was happening (aka many trips to the dollar store to slowly furnish my house-slowly because I could only balance so many bags on my bike.) I joined a frisbee team in Japan and experienced the joy of living alone for the first time in my life. At the end of the month Chad and Bri came to visit. (Who knew when they jokingly mentioned it back in January when I was in TN that they were serious?)
May - Chad in Bri in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. There's a whole blog and video about this so I won't go crazy here, but it was a blast. :)
(The blog for these two months.)
June - I was pretty settled into my routine at this point, but by now I had a roommate. I also went to visit the Tsujimotos and spend fathers day with Papa #2. Oh and let's not forget that really spontaneous trip to America FOR MY BROTHER'S WEDDING. (Because who doesn't enjoy spending 2 days traveling for 2 days in America?) Still though, can't complain about a trip that was nothing but amazing. I even had a quick layover in Utah to see my friends.
July - I visited my BYU friend, Anna, in Yokohama (near Tokyo) and we partied. Then Whitney came to visit from Korea. It was a weekend of cafes and delicious pancakes. (Pancakes in Tokyo. Who knew?)
August - I essentially spent my summer learning all the kanji I could cram into my brain, with a slight weekend detour to go to the beach with Anna and Natasha, and then I rewarded myself with a trip to Thailand with Natasha!
(Yes, of course, there's a video and a blog for that too.)
September - I started hanging out more with people in my ward, being social (instead of reading books at home), going to dinners with families in the ward, and just being social in general. (Would recommend being social 10/10 times unless you'd rather do something else [like sit in bed and read].)
October - Who knows if I'll make it home for the family reunion so we decided to have our own reunion in Japan. Kim and Christian came to visit and we went on a little trip to Hakone together! Let's not forget that this was also my first Halloween in Japan, and the ward party was tons of fun.
November - I spent every weekend this month practicing for the ward talent show (as I'm slightly lacking talent in the dance department it wouldn't have hurt to practice every weekend this year, but, alas, the talent show was a last minute thing.)
December - I made mochi for the first time with my students at the school. I hiked Mt. Takao with some friends and enjoyed the fall colors (in December). Went to the crazy Christmas lights at the theme park Yomiuri Land, and then it was time to go HOME!
I like my 10-12 hour flights from Japan to America. 'Why?' you may ask. Because when else can I have 12 hours to literally do nothing but sleep, watch movies, play games, read books, and get fed (mediocre airplane food) without doing a thing? And the best part is that my overly productive OCD to-do list inner self can't even feel even a tiny ounce of guilt for not being productive! How could I complain?
Despite that, I was still quite glad to arrive in America. (If I thought my 8-hour layover in MN was long on arrival, I had another thing coming when it came time to fly back to Japan and I had a 16-hour layover at the airport.)
My break was full of delicious American food (which might not even technically be American so much as food that I never eat in Japan), my family, and English. Who knew that I'd miss people understanding everything I say without having to think about it? (Actually, that may have come up in discussions once or twice before I left...)
I saw Sarah, Johnny, and her kids the day after I arrived because they were leaving for Utah (bad timing) and then that evening I drove down with Joseph's family to Mountain Home.
I spent a week and a half basking in my responsibility-free state at my parent's house. And like every good bum I spent the week reading books, watching Hallmark, playing with nieces and nephews during the day and my siblings and parents at night, and organizing any and all cupboards I could access and the fridge.
I also saw Sam, and it was very odd to think that she's married and living in a house that she owns with her husband, and I'm living in an apartment in Japan and yet, there we were sitting in my parent's house talking about books like we were back in high school.
David and Michelle didn't make it home for the holidays this year, but we had all the rest of the family together for new years, and it was about as crazy as you might expect with 9 kids 9 years and under.
All too soon I was counting down my last meals in America (which is why I realized I suddenly needed to go to Red Lobster and get sushi back to back) and it was time for one last Disney Channel Original Movie with Sarah and Johnny before we said goodbye.
The 16-hour layover wasn't as bad as I feared it would be since I was able to take advantage of the time by calling people while I was still in the same time zone, reading some books, and sleeping on some sketchy cushions after putting down a not-sketchy blanket that an airport worker gave me.
Now, here I am back in Japan and sitting under my heated blanket (a place that I rarely leave when I'm at home. Not that there's anywhere else to go in my house since it's about 10 steps from the front to the back.) and wondering how my trip to America and 2018 are already over. This year went by so quickly, and I know 2019 will be the same.
In 2018 I learned how important it is to follow your dreams no matter how far from home they take you because no matter where you go you never really leave home. I've learned to really value those around me and the relationships I was blessed with. I've learned how nice it is to be understood without having to think about it and to understand others without having to think. And I've learned more about service from the examples of those around me (from my friends and family in America) to the wonderful Japanese people around me every day. There are so many wonderful people no matter where you go in the world.
And now I'm quite resolved to spend 2019 being as happy as I can be, exercising with the motivation of my new fitbit and determination to not lose with the step counter (Emily. Lori.), improving my Japanese, and trying to live this life in Japan to the fullest because if there's anything I've realized for sure this year it's that I can't stay away from my family forever (like my mother fears). So until the time comes for me to migrate back to America one more time, look forward to many more blogs and adventures. I know I am!
(A blog without pictures? I wouldn't believe it myself if I hadn't gone through all the effort of making this video to make up for it.)
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