Nippon

 

 

 

Bamboo forest

 

 

 

 More typical Japanese homes - nearby where I stayed

 

 

 Atypical Japanese home (Finnish cabin) that my sister-in-law's mother lives in and where I stayed.

When my sister-in-law planned to take the kids to Japan for an extended stay I wasn't that interested in visiting, as she planned to stay in Tokyo (where she is from).  I like nature and did not find the most populated city in the world appealing. However, due to various circumstances she ended up living with her mother who is an hour outside Tokyo.  She has this sweet little spot that seems so isolated, but really isn't.

I only was in Tokyo briefly the day I arrived, and I guess wasn't in central Tokyo, but I'm still in awe of how quiet it was.  It was so quiet!! But it was even quieter here, frog sounds at night, the loudest thing being the daily loudspeakers with Greensleeves at 6AM (even weekends), and also 2 other times daily.

 

 How I began the majority of my mornings (steam baths trying to clear out my congestion).  I started not feeling well day 5 and still have a cough/congestion.  Happily my Co-Vid test at least came back negative.

 

Niece and nephew almost home from school (wearing the hats all elementary kids wear on their walks to school).

 

This was only 3.5 k from where I was living.  My sister-in-law drove us there earlier and then I walk/jogged back there the day before I left.  My niece was concerned I would get lost as I wasn't taking a phone with me, but there were only 2 turns and I made my way back fine.

 So today's gratitudes

#1 - Sharing these photos

#2 - I work 2 part-time jobs, I told 1 I wouldn't be back til next week, which was a wise decision as I worked 8 hours at the other today catching up (usually I only work 1 hour at that job Mondays).

#3 -  I was hoping my cough would be gone (that maybe it had to do with some allergy or something in Japan), but at least I can cough freely today and am no longer worried about if I'll feel better for the trip home.  I tried to hold it in on the plane yesterday and I think I have a lot of coughs held in.

#4 - I don't usually post photos of my niece or nephew, but I asked my brother on this one since their faces were masked (still lots of mask wearing in Japan, though not required) and he said ok.

#5 - I have actually really liked coming home to an empty/quiet place.  I thought it would be sadder, that I didn't have anyone to come home to and tell about my trip.  However, so far it's been nice just to have this space and ease back into my life.  I was writing about this in my journal last night, how much I liked it, but that also scared me because it didn't mean I always want to live alone.  This is such a silly thought.  When I lived with other people and genuinely appreciated living with them, I never feared that appreciation would prevent me from enjoying living alone, but funny how that fear pops up vice versa.

P.S. I'm not sure, maybe if I understood the Japanese news I would have heard about violence there, but I doubt I would have heard about shootings.  As soon as I went on the computer today, there it was, life in the United States.