Parties and golf

These last few weeks in Japan have been filled with fun. We continue to make memories with the friends we've met here, and the reality that our adventure will soon end is starting to set in.

My sweet friend, Miyoko, recently organized a yukata party for my friends, Meagan and Emily, and me. We all sewed our own yukatas by hand and jumped at the opportunity to show them off. We spent the afternoon trotting around Nagoya and had a nice little lunch at a French restaurant.

Emily got to wear the infamous wig this time. We bumped into a television crew at one point, and the cameraman asked her if she was Lady Gaga. Ha!

The following day, I made my golfing debut. Miyoko and her family invited Travis and me along. We went to a very nice golf course close to the city. I had never really played before and had only hit a ball here and there when I was in high school. Needless to say, I was a bit nervous. We played a full 18 holes, and I really enjoyed myself.

I was terrible and usually lost track of my strokes after 10 so I have no idea what my score was.

After our full day of golf, Miyoko and her family hosted us for a farewell party. I managed to not shed any tears, but it wasn't easy. As usual, we had a delicious meal with them and lots of fun. All of the people sitting at this table plus a sweet 12-year-old girl will be making the journey to St. Louis and to my hometown in August. Should be a blast!

The following day, we attended a super-classy wedding reception for Ryan and Ayako.

We got all dolled up, and I was able to wear my bridesmaid's dress from Courtney's wedding. It's possible, you really can re-wear them sometimes!

This picture is of Meagan, Ayako, me and Emily. Meagan, Emily and I all had our hair professionally done for the party. Our styles weren't exactly what we had imagined, but it was so much fun. I felt like I was going to prom all over again--just with less awkwardness, and I didn't get a wrist corsage.Ryan and Ayako (Ryako) cutting their cake. They are such a wonderful couple and have already overcome so many challenges. Ayako is leaving her home in Japan to move to America indefinitely. Talk about commitment! I can't wait to spend more time with them in the U.S. Ryan sang to Ayako at the reception, and I'm pretty sure there wasn't a dry eye in the place. He's quite talented, and it was so sweet.

Well, that's all for now. I hope to blog again soon. We spent last week in Cambodia so I have lots of exciting pictures to share with you.

Beach Camping

I am convinced that the best kind of camping is done on a beach. We headed to Fukui prefecture last weekend and discovered what might be the most amazing campsite in the world. Well, that might be a stretch, but it was really nice, and to top it off, we were the only people there! We had been wanting to see the Japan Sea for quite some time, and we finally headed towards it last weekend with some friends. We ended up finding a campsite, which wasn't opened for the season yet, and we were able to camp alone and for free. It was very relaxing, and nothing beats unzipping your tent door to face the ocean.

Here are the boys: Travis, Zac, Zac's college friend, Top, from Thailand and Eric. They were manly enough to build us a great fire that lasted the entire evening.

The girls were outnumbered, but we managed to have a great time together. Notice the nuclear power plant in the background. Always a nice touch.

An obligatory shot to capture our Japan Sea adventure. We later found out after returning that the area where we camped had once been a location where Japanese families were kidnapped by a certain neighboring country. And, I don't think I realized just how close we were to that country. Kind of creepy, but we made it back safely.

The next morning, we went on a really short hike to check out some of the interesting rock formations in the area. They were really beautiful, but unfortunately, most of the shore was covered in trash. We saw everything from old refrigerators, to shoes, to diesel engine oil barrels. Kind of hard to appreciate beauty when you're surrounded by trash. Japan is typically spotless, too.

Today marks 28 days until our return to the U.S. I'm so excited, but the transition is certainly bittersweet. We've had an amazing time living in Japan, but it's not always been easy. We've experienced challenges here, and I can't wait to get back home to family and friends and Target. :) I'm not naive enough to think challenges won't exist there, too, but I am anxious to be reacquainted with so many of the comforts I've missed. Travis and I have spent half of our marriage in Japan, and I've lived in Nagoya for the same amount of time I lived in St. Louis. It's surprising how comfortable I've become here, and I'm really going to miss it. I never would have predicted the experiences I've had over the last two years, but I am grateful for every single one of them.

The journey not the arrival matters. --T.S. Eliot