Time's a rollin' and it's already that magical time of year where the leaves are changing, the snow starts to fall, and everything just seems a bit more whimsical. For anyone who doesn't know me well, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.
I love that this day has evolved to mean more than it once did. I know it seems odd that we as a nation celebrate a holiday to commemorate our forefathers invading an already-inhabited land, eating their food, and then spreading diseases to the natives who were kind enough to help them.
We are more than our mere history, though, and this holiday now inspires much more. It's about family. It's about friends. It's about coming together and being truly grateful for all the blessings we have in our lives.
In my family, it's about being together and spending the day full of parade-watching, cooking, decorating, and celebrating the holiday. There is laughter, warmth, and often the arguments that make our family what it is.
I think it's one of the few things I truly miss about living in the states. Obviously, we miss our friends and families, we miss the ability to shop in stores we are used to and eat at our favorite restaurants. Missing out on some of those things is worth it when we look at the wonderful adventure we are having here in Japan. We have met amazing friends, learned about unique cultures, and have seen so many sights we only dreamed of seeing.
But...
Thanksgiving will be kind of bittersweet for us this year, knowing that we can take part in all of our favorite traditions, but won't get to do it in the company of our families.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Thursday, August 9, 2012
thankful thursdays - festivals and olympics
After returning from Tokyo, we had a great time with Cliff and Naomi. Getting to share some of our favorite spots with them was such a blessing! It's one thing to describe it or even show them pictures, but getting to experience our loved ones experiencing Japan was one of my favorite things about their visit.
27. We love Tokyo, but are so thankful to be home!
28. That we live close enough to the beach to hang out there on a hot summer day!
29. The sense of pride and nationalism the Olympians feel and the unity we get to feel for the next few weeks. If only it would last...
30. My thoughts precisely. I love Misawa!
31. My favorite little spot in Misawa
32. Sharing one of my favorite places with some of my favorite people
33. My favorite place in Japan ♥
Sunday, August 5, 2012
tokyo bound...again
We got to visit Tokyo again! This is exciting, because the three days we spent in this glorious city in March just weren't enough to see and do even a fraction of what Tokyo has to offer. Not only did we get to visit again, but this time, we'd get to do it with family!
Cliff and Naomi were slated to arrive at Narita Airport in the late afternoon, so we planned to arrive in the morning via the Willer Express. After arriving at Tokyo Station, we deposited our luggage at a locker and headed for the nearest (you guessed it) Starbucks. I still find it amusing that we rarely visited Starbucks when we lived in the states, but now it's a commodity we get a little too excited about!
While trekking to coffee heaven, we made the realization that Tokyo Station is MUCH easier to navigate than the craziness of Shinjuku! After drinking a gluten-free-soy-mocha-frappuccino, I was ready to hit the streets.
We headed first to the Imperial Palace. We were a bit disappointed, as everybody says one of the top ten things to do in Tokyo is to visit this place. We had heard there was a spectacular garden, but if there was one we never did see it.
The palace grounds are surrounded by two moats. Inside the outer moat is a tree-filled grassy area reminiscent of the reflecting pool in Washington DC. It was a beautiful place to have a picnic or take a stroll.
The actual castle lies inside the inner moat. It's difficult to see and is heavily guarded, since the emperor resides there to this day. The detail on the visitor's side of the moat, though, was easy to see and was made up of beautiful detail. The entrance bridge was beautifully reflected in the moat's water, and the filigreed fences surrounding the moat were exquisite.
All in all, we enjoyed visiting the palace, but wouldn't go so far as to call it one of Tokyo's "top ten places to see."
Cliff and Naomi were slated to arrive at Narita Airport in the late afternoon, so we planned to arrive in the morning via the Willer Express. After arriving at Tokyo Station, we deposited our luggage at a locker and headed for the nearest (you guessed it) Starbucks. I still find it amusing that we rarely visited Starbucks when we lived in the states, but now it's a commodity we get a little too excited about!
While trekking to coffee heaven, we made the realization that Tokyo Station is MUCH easier to navigate than the craziness of Shinjuku! After drinking a gluten-free-soy-mocha-frappuccino, I was ready to hit the streets.
We headed first to the Imperial Palace. We were a bit disappointed, as everybody says one of the top ten things to do in Tokyo is to visit this place. We had heard there was a spectacular garden, but if there was one we never did see it.
The palace grounds are surrounded by two moats. Inside the outer moat is a tree-filled grassy area reminiscent of the reflecting pool in Washington DC. It was a beautiful place to have a picnic or take a stroll.
The actual castle lies inside the inner moat. It's difficult to see and is heavily guarded, since the emperor resides there to this day. The detail on the visitor's side of the moat, though, was easy to see and was made up of beautiful detail. The entrance bridge was beautifully reflected in the moat's water, and the filigreed fences surrounding the moat were exquisite.
All in all, we enjoyed visiting the palace, but wouldn't go so far as to call it one of Tokyo's "top ten places to see."
After the Imperial Palace was one of the places I was most excited about. You see, I have a thing for themed restaurants or restaurants that have a great background or story behind them. Our lunch destination was one such place: Gonpachi.
For those of you who have seen Kill Bill, you will recognize Gonpachi as the inspiration for "the House of Blue Leaves," where the Crazy 88 have their epic fight scene.
I figured if the real deal had any type of architecture close to its fictitious rendition, we'd be happy we visited. Boy, were we right! We traveled to Nishi-Azabu, a sub-neighborhood in Roppongi. Upon stepping in, we could immediately see why Tarantino was inspired by this place. Rather than try and explain its awesomeness, I'll show you:
In the midst of this awesomeness, I was a bit concerned because this would be the first time I had eaten out since going gluten free. I was anxious about getting sick and had found some great advice on how to communicate my food allergy issues in Japanese.
I did so, and amazingly enough, we were given a server who not only spoke English fluently, but had spent part of her life near Sacramento. Teresa not only took the time to run every item I considered ordering by her manager to check for potential allergens, but we enjoyed talking about our time in Northern California.
The food was a bit pricey, but delicious, and we ended up really enjoying ourselves. (I will post another blog about all the gluten-free meals I found in Tokyo, as there are startlingly few blogs devoted to this for Celiacs traveling to this city.)
After Gonpachi, we checked Arisugawa Park (a beautiful and underrated getaway in the midst of the city's chaos) and then rode the subway back to Tokyo Station, where we met up with the newly arrived Cliff and Naomi. As all of us were exhausted, we headed back to the hotel to unpack and get ready for the next day.
The rooms at the Monterey la Soeur were tiny, but this was Tokyo and we were exhausted!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
month of the military child
We are in the midst of celebrating the Month of the Military Child. One of the activities our school participated in was to interview any teachers who grew up as military kids. Having a third grader interview me about my life as an Army Brat really made me look back at my life. Growing up in so many towns, posts, and cities, I've lived a different life than most people in this country. Honestly, I hated it back then. Every time I'd finally get situated at school and make some good friends, off we'd go to the next place. Even the places we returned to after several years were like new, as those I had been friends with had moved on as well. Now, though, I see it as an important part of who I am. I feel I'm capable of dealing with change better than many of my counterparts. I might not like it or want to embrace it, but I deal with it and move on. With all the upheaval we've had due to the economy and being laid off, I think it was the constant change growing up that helped me to deal with it this time around. Yes, it was devastating to lose my job. Yes, I hated that we had finally gotten to choose where we wanted to live, and now we had to move across the country, where we didn't know a soul. But, move we did. And it was a lot easier than I had envisioned. Not that I see myself staying in North Carolina forever, as we have bigger and better plans...
A few months ago, I went up to Seattle to visit my best friend. While I was there, I was able to go back to Ft. Lewis, where we were stationed several years ago. I was probably 4 or so when we lived there, and it's the first real home I remember. Not having been back since then, all I had were these pictures in my head: some from pictures I've seen of us living there and others, just foggy memories. Going back was an amazing experience - getting to see the park I remember playing at, hiking the paths I remember walking down with my family when I was younger, visiting the lake where we used to feed the ducks. Even though all the houses basically look the same, I was drawn to the one that was ours for that brief time. It made me realize that, yes, we moved a lot and didn't settle down until I was nearly an adult. Though fleeting, that time was real and it made me who I am today.
Walking down memory lane was an eye-opening experience for me. What can it be for you?
A few months ago, I went up to Seattle to visit my best friend. While I was there, I was able to go back to Ft. Lewis, where we were stationed several years ago. I was probably 4 or so when we lived there, and it's the first real home I remember. Not having been back since then, all I had were these pictures in my head: some from pictures I've seen of us living there and others, just foggy memories. Going back was an amazing experience - getting to see the park I remember playing at, hiking the paths I remember walking down with my family when I was younger, visiting the lake where we used to feed the ducks. Even though all the houses basically look the same, I was drawn to the one that was ours for that brief time. It made me realize that, yes, we moved a lot and didn't settle down until I was nearly an adult. Though fleeting, that time was real and it made me who I am today.
Walking down memory lane was an eye-opening experience for me. What can it be for you?
Friday, September 3, 2010
no more misadventures!
Whew! I'm glad to say that the rest of our vacation went a lot more smoothly than our misadventures with the drop zones! We took a three day weekend drive down to Charleston and Savannah, both of which I had seen, but Ben and Naomi hadn't. We took a carriage ride through Historic Charleston, which still has cobblestone streets, and learned about some of its amazing history. We saw Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the Civil War were shot, some amazing houses build in the 17 and 1800's, and the first Otis Elevator in the south.
We then visited the Charleston Aquarium, home of the rare albino alligator. We also walked along the waterfront of Charleston Harbor.
We spent the night in Charleston and headed south toward Savannah early the next morning. On the way, we stopped by Morris Island to check out the beach and the Morris Island Lighthouse. It was definitely one of the coolest lighthouses we have visited so far in our east coast travels.
Once in Savannah, we were caught up in the history of this amazing city. We visited Old Fort Jackson, a fort that has stood the test of time and was used during the Revolutionary War and the Civil War; Fort Pulaski, one of the first forts targeted by the Union Army during the Civil War; Bonaventure Cemetery, resting place for many of Georgia's historically important founders and governors; and Wormsloe Plantation, which is famous for its beautiful moss-draped trees.
Old Fort Jackson
Fort Pulaski
Bonaventure Cemetery
Wormsloe Plantation
Of course, we spent some time swimming at Tybee Island and strolling down the waterfront of Historic Savannah. We saw some amazing sights and drank in the southern atmosphere.
We then visited the Charleston Aquarium, home of the rare albino alligator. We also walked along the waterfront of Charleston Harbor.
We spent the night in Charleston and headed south toward Savannah early the next morning. On the way, we stopped by Morris Island to check out the beach and the Morris Island Lighthouse. It was definitely one of the coolest lighthouses we have visited so far in our east coast travels.
Once in Savannah, we were caught up in the history of this amazing city. We visited Old Fort Jackson, a fort that has stood the test of time and was used during the Revolutionary War and the Civil War; Fort Pulaski, one of the first forts targeted by the Union Army during the Civil War; Bonaventure Cemetery, resting place for many of Georgia's historically important founders and governors; and Wormsloe Plantation, which is famous for its beautiful moss-draped trees.
Old Fort Jackson
Fort Pulaski
Bonaventure Cemetery
Wormsloe Plantation
Of course, we spent some time swimming at Tybee Island and strolling down the waterfront of Historic Savannah. We saw some amazing sights and drank in the southern atmosphere.
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