Christmas time is here!! I wish I could go home for Christmas but I’ll settle for New Years in Hawaii ?. It doesn’t feel like Christmas is right around the corner. Temperature wise it feels like a Minnesota October but the Christmas spirit is very much alive! Christmas lights, music, and parties galore! But of course, closing ceremony isn’t until AFTER Christmas so my break doesn’t begin until the 26th (officially the 29th). There aren’t enough words to express how excited I am to see my family! And getting to eat Chipotle! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
Leading up to this holiday season, I spent time traveling different areas of Japan. For thanksgiving I went to Tokai. It was definitely an event to remember. There were Thanksgiving newbies who got to experience a true American Thanksgiving. It was interesting to meet people who come from different walks of life. Surprisingly, there’s an oven in Japan big enough to hold a turkey! Who would have thought! I did miss being home for thanksgiving and getting to spend it with my family.. and eating my Aunt’s mac and cheese, but it was a new tradition I’m looking forward to celebrating another one here.
I also, got a chance to go back to the old stomping grounds.. Yokohama! So much has changed since the last time I was there.. Which makes sense since it’s been about 15 years since I’ve been there.. wow that makes me feel old. It’s changed so much I couldn’t even point myself in the direction of where I lived… But I did remember what train I took to get to school! At least some things never change. I could definitely see myself living in a place like Yokohama (sorry Mom!). While I was in Yokohama, I visited the cup noodle museum and custom made my own cup noodles! I decorated the cup and picked everything that went inside. I can’t eat it but it stands as a memory of the best trip to Tokyo I’ve had so far. I also went to the red brick warehouse and did some shopping (of course). It’s an old warehouse factory that they turned into a shopping bazaar and restaurants. It’s on the water so we saw ships coming and going. It was a cool place and I bought really cool soap! It’s called konnyaku soap (I think). Konnyaku was somewhere in the sentence and it has the texture of it so that’s what I’m calling it.
Besides the traveling and the holidays, not much has changed here. The leaves have changed color and we’ve gotten snow once (but it hasn’t stuck) For the most part it’s an average of 50s here… I’m shivering as I type this. The days are really short.. Shorter than in America! I never realized how much I need sunlight until I came to Japan. It’s usually dark by the time I go home from work.. It’s supposed to be 4:40 but most days I get caught up doing something and leave later.
As we prepare for Christmas, many people are going home, but there are a few of us sticking around Mito. Sadly, I won’t be home to celebrate with my family. But I am hosting a Christmas party in my tiny apartment! I’m planning on making my Aunt’s mac and cheese (fingers crossed it goes well), and cooking a roast (fingers crossed again)! I’m a little nervous to be hosting and cooking but I’m excited at the same time! Hopefully everyone will fit in my apartment!
