Home

This time, going home to see my family didn't feel like a dream. The first time, after being in Japan for 2 1/2 years, I was kind of in a daze the whole two weeks I was there. It just didn't seem real--it was as if I were dreaming I was home. I couldn't figure out how to shop. I couldn't visualize my apartment in Japan. But when I got back to Japan, it was like I'd woken up and was back to reality. I didn't want to go back to reality, because reality was depressing at the time...

Any way, this time it wasn't dreamy at all. It was like, "Texas is home, and so is Kanagawa." I was happy to be in Texas, but equally happy to be back when I returned to Kanagawa. I just wished I could see my family a little bit more easily and more often than I do. Oh, and go shopping at Ross Dress for Less & Sprouts Health Food Store. ;) Daiju would be asking me to add IHOP to that list. :) :)

I was going to post the following on my Facebook, but with both languages it'd have been too long. Besides, this goes on there anyway so y'all can still read it!

* When we first moved here, we slept on futon mattresses on the floor (very normal in Japan, BTW). Two years later, we bought a bed!

* When we first moved here, we couldn't get a real couch (though we did have a mini one). About two and a half years later, we were given an American-size sofa by a kind coworker!

* When we first moved here, pretty much all we had was a few plastic drawers to keep our clothes in. As of yesterday, we have a dresser! (and plastic drawers...still need 'em!)

I'm feeling more at home all the time!

日本に引っ越したばっかりの時に敷き布団で寝ました。２年後ベッドを買った！

日本に引っ越したばっかりの時に本当のソファーを変えなかった（でも、小さなソファーをもっていた）。２年半後優しい同僚にアメリカンサイズソファーをいただいた！

日本に引っ越したばっかりの時にプラ引き出ししか服の入れる場所がほとんどなかった。けど、昨日タンスを買いました！（まだまだプラのを一緒に使ってますけど・・・）

どんどんどんどん家って感じています！（かんじがまちがえたらごめんなさい）

I hope we get to stay in our current house for a long time. I really like it here, and I love our church. I finally feel like I have friends and am feeling more comfortable about life here. The homey furniture, the privacy of not being in an apartment, the doggy we'll get on Monday--these not-so-important things really make me feel at ease.

And I'm branching out... We're holding a big come & go house-warming party on Sunday afternoon. I've never hosted something like this before. I'm sure I'll have forgotten somebody, or won't have something ready in time. But hopefully it'll be a fun time for us to build friendships with the people who come. And hopefully I won't be a nervous wreck!!