The Things I’ll Miss…

 Going Mental  2 Responses »
Oct 052020
 

We are in single digit days left in Tokyo for this chapter. Who would have thought that I’d be living in and out of Japan four times since 1997? Who would have thought that I’d find the place that I swore I’d never return to after my first visit more like home than either my birth or adopted countries?

This time was definitely the best time I had and I am not leaving to escape nor with a sour taste in my mouth as previous times have been.

Thanks to being with Matt, living near my BFF, getting a job that I was familiar with and good at, and having perspective after living in a very different country in comparison, I could appreciate much more this time around than the previous times.

So, as I try to make time to positively reflect, I thought I’d summarize the things that I’ll actually miss.

1. My BFF and her family: Of course, I know I’ll be back for visits, but it was nice to have another chance to live near each other, to watch my godson grow into a young adult, to connect more with her husband, and to make more memories together.

2. My new friends and their families: I didn’t expect to really make friends as I’m not that good at it, but thanks to BFF connections and making a little effort both in and out of work, I did make some good friends (y’all know who you are!). I’ll carry the laughs and shared experiences as precious memories that added to what made this chapter in Japan the best of my previous years here.

3. Seasonal food: No other country does seasonal food like Japan (or at least none that I know yet). I love to eat, but I have always been a bit picky about Japanese food. However, knowing that I can get different fruit by the season or eat nabe in winter is somehow very comforting. I used to miss particular dishes, but this time I think I will miss the entire season of food.

4. Customer service: This is something I have always missed whenever I leave because there is nothing like the Japanese customer service. Some people dislike it because it is superficial and sometimes those who help state the obvious, but there is comfort in knowing that everyone gives their best to help as much as they can. Over time, one can understand that the stating of the obvious is their way of saying “I don’t know” because they can’t say it directly. 😉

5. Shinkawa: The river, or rather the man-made canal, that runs by our house has been my happy place when I needed to stretch my legs or feel a sense of nature. Keeping track of the ducklings, turtles, fish and flora of the riverside has really brought me peace of mind.

While there are other things that I will surely miss, these are the ones that are at the top of the list. I know they are somewhat different than what I thought I would miss the previous times I have left; but age changes perspective.

I have learned not to say good-bye anymore as I know that I will be back for visits and can still appreciate some of these things when I visit again. So, with that au revoir Japan, until next time….

~T 😀

Change in the Air

 Going Mental  No Responses »
Oct 012020
 

As if a switch was turned the summer temperatures dropped 🌤 , humidity drifted away 🌬 , and leaves began to fall off the trees 🍃. Welcome to autumn.

Not to be outdone by the natural changes, we have our own seasonal movement happening. In 13 days, we will be on a plane to France 🛫🇫🇷. Assuming no major obstacles (knock on wood 🤞🏽) keep us from getting on the flight with the cats, we will begin the next phase of our lives near the Mediterranean Sea.

WHY ARE YOU MOVING TO FRANCE?

Many people have asked us this and, recently, my mother wanted to clarify to be able to explain to people this seemingly sudden move. After all, it feels as if we just got ourselves settled in Japan.

Well, two words explain in short: Brexit and COVID19.

FIRST, WHY FRANCE?

France has been our “next phase” (aka retirement) destination. We don’t say ‘retire’ because that suggests that we won’t be doing anything productive, but neither of us are likely to pass the days away leisurely – or at least, we can’t imagine that yet.

However, M has always wanted to have a vineyard 🍇 ➡️🍷and some land to putter around on in the French countryside. We have talked off and on about having a larger place to offer yoga retreats or conference centers or some kind of service-oriented type side business.

Either way, I fell in love 🥰 with the area when I visited in 2015 and agreed that it was somewhere I could happily spend the next phase of my life in. Despite my general dislike for the French language 🤦🏽‍♀️😂, I started to study it via the Duolingo app so that I would not be completely lost someday in the future when we moved there.

Besides, France is a great spot to launch from for travel as I have not done that much traveling through Europe as I always knew I wanted to see it when I could afford to enjoy it and not experience it like the typical backpacker. 🤷🏽‍♀️😇

NEXT, BREXIT:

Back in 2016, when the wheels of cray cray began to spin globally, we did not know what the effects of Brexit would be in a practical sense. It seemed for a while as if nothing would change, but then finally dates were set and actions were taken to declare that after December 31, 2020 British citizens would no longer be treated as EU citizens in France.

When we heard this, we began conversations around going sooner than later. However, at the beginning, we weren’t necessarily rushing to go as M pointed out that we could still move there, we’d just have to do more paperwork.

THEN, THERE WAS COVID19 –

The world went into this surreal state with no one really knowing that it was going to continue to an unknown future date. With the enforced and encouraged social distancing measures that have led to us both being able to work from home using video-calling programs and online systems, we realized that we could be doing this in our own open space, poolside, without neighbors within arms reach outside the windows, and just a train ride or car’s drive away from getting away from the ‘mundane’ things more freely (and cheaply).

OTHER DRAWS TO HAPPINESS:

Now, don’t get me wrong. Some of this is possible in Japan, and we have thoroughly enjoyed living here (haven’t left yet!). I admit that this time I have had the best time of all my stays here because I have been able to see it through new eyes.

However, it felt like this was the right timing and it all feels right. Japan was never meant to be for forever, though we did think that it was going to be for a bit longer than it’s turned out to be.

It’s just that we are both ready to live in more familiar lands where the culture and mindset are slightly more Western than we have been in since we met. There are seemingly small things like language barriers, cultural clouds, and a sense of transience that we face regularly here that will still be experienced in Europe, but at a much smaller scale.

We are looking forward to visiting the local boulangerie 🥖🥐, making friends that we can invest time and energy into 🥂🍻 knowing that we will be around for a while, taking side trips to neighboring countries 🚙🚆, and putting down some real roots together. 👩‍❤️‍👨.

So, together, we head off to a new phase and start the next part of the adventure of our lives. We are excited and I’ll be, hopefully, posting more regularly as I’ll finally be focusing on writing more and being the free-spirit I know I was always meant to be! 😝

~T 😀

error

Enjoy this blog? Please spread the word :)