The last time I posted on this blog was quite a bit ago. It wasn’t for lack of want, but I was busy pursuing my master’s degree and trying very hard to live my best life during a pandarama.
From 2020-on, exploring my backyard and enjoying living in the big city, did not pan out the way I had romanticized it. But, it worked in my favor because there was less FOMO when I was stuck indoors like everyone else but had papers to write, tons of pages to read, and class discussions to complete online. I was forced to make use of the extra time on my hands and figured out a way to make working from home in the mornings and transitioning to studying from home in the evenings work to my advantage. I can now proudly say I have completed my coursework, cried my way through a hellish weekend of research and writing to pass my comprehensive exam, and graduated in December. This past nearly three years have been so much fun, I hope to never forget in case I ever hit my head and think I want to pursue a doctorate.
Beyond having an excuse to be a semi-recluse nearly the entire time since I’ve moved to Tokyo proper, I did manage to have some moments of enjoyment and travel. It has been difficult to navigate the rules and restrictions, especially early on. Not only do I have to follow rules from the local government, I also have other rules to follow as a non-citizen person in the country. Figuring out when and where I could go to a restaurant or to sight-see, whether or not I could enjoy a cocktail with my dinner, and how many people can be included in my party, has been exhausting. This is juxtaposed with the two visits I’ve made back to the States in the last year where it has felt like there are no rules, no masks, and booze free-flowing everywhere.
Furthermore, finding inspiration and tapping back into my creativity and love for writing has also been a challenge. I originally started this blog as a travel letter to my parents. A lot has changed since then, including the passing of my dad, so now I only have my mom to entertain with my travel tales. Grieving my dad’s death, studying through the grief, dealing with a pandemic– I’ve been, just like all of you, trying to figure it all out. And, trying to figure out what I want to write about is where I can’t seem to move beyond. I, like many people I know, have a bunch of notes on my phone for pitches, podcast ideas, writing excerpts, but these are ideas I’m desperately trying to grab onto and develop and they just stay taking up space in my phone.
No more of that, I hope. This year, I’m finally on the other side of the mountain I started to climb back in 2019, so I have to pick a new one. Meanwhile, I am going to relish in the free time I’d been missing since 2018 when times were simpler. I look forward to bringing you along with me on these new adventures and giving you a slice of the crazy, incredible, and normal AF life I live abroad.
Tokyo Tower in red on Feb. 1, 2022 to mark the first night of the Lunar New Year.
Turning Japenisse 