Asuke and Tea Ceremony

One thing I'm thankful for right now: elastic-waist pajama pants. Whew. We just got back from our first Thanksgiving celebration, and it was fantastic. We'll have another one next weekend. It was a potluck, and we had so much delicious food. I completely overate, and now I'm feeling the pain, but it was worth it. I am so grateful to have good friends in Japan to celebrate with and feel very blessed to be able to have the opportunity to indulge in all things Thanksgiving even while living abroad. I know it's been a tough year for many so I don't want to lose sight of the fact that I am blessed beyond measure in so many tangible and intangible ways.

We've been staying extremely busy lately. We're heading home in just a few short weeks, and it seems like we have so many things to do between now and then! We've been running around like crazy, and we're going to have to say goodbye to many good friends in the next couple of weeks so it's going to be hard! :( We aren't leaving Japan until next summer, but some of our dearest friends will be heading back to the States in December. :,(

For now, I'll share a few recent pictures with you. Last weekend we traveled to the nearby town of Asuke. It is absolutely gorgeous in the fall. They even illuminate the trees at night. I was overwhelmed by the beauty. Japan doesn't get nearly enough credit for being an amazingly beautiful country. Before moving here, I never knew how truly gorgeous this country is.

We had a really hard time capturing good shots because the lighting was strange, but I think this one turned out pretty well. We relaxed next to this river for a while, chatted with our friends and snacked it out.

You can see the trees lit in the background. Such a cool idea. People in Japan seem to appreciate natural beauty a bit more than Americans. I could be wrong, but after experiencing hanami (cherry blossom viewing), and the fall season, Japanese people really know how to make an event out of enjoying the outdoors. Droves of people drive just to view these gorgeous trees, and an entire festival is organized around it. While there we ate some of the most delicious food, too.

The next day, my friend, Miyoko, invited me to a tea ceremony along with some of her friends. I had been to a tea ceremony before, but I had never gone in kimono. There were around 200 people there, but we broke off into small groups and rotated through the different stages of the ceremony. It was certainly a fun and unique experience. I am so happy I've had the opportunity to live in Japan and to experience Japanese culture.

Here I am outside of the entrance. The garden surrounding the tea house is beautiful. Japanese gardens are always so incredible and relaxing. In case you're counting, this was my fourth time to wear a kimono. I think I might be a professional now.