Although I missed yet another Thanksgiving back home- which just happens to be my favorite holiday- there is plenty that I can think of to be thankful for. Maybe not that 7/11 egg salad sandwich I had for my Thanksgiving meal, but I digress.
I've mentioned before that this transition back to living abroad has been more challenging than others. But with almost two months back here, I am establishing routines, finding good people to spend time with, and in my spare time (which is extremely minimal thanks to grad school), I've even gotten to go on a few adventures nearby.
In the spirit of staying positive and focusing on the good, here are three things I am grateful for with this life abroad.
1) My Home Away From Home
I live in Shizuoka prefecture, which is on the main island of Japan in between Tokyo and Nagoya (Japan's fourth largest city after Osaka and Kyoto, which are just a bit past Nagoya). I am so thankful that I can hop on the bullet train and be in these big cities within an hour.
But beyond its accessibility to other places, Shizuoka is an amazing place itself. We share part of Mt. Fuji with neighboring prefectures, have beaches to swim at, mountains to explore in, and locally grown green tea, wasabi, oranges, and fresh fish for sashimi.
Hiking is one of my favorite thing to do in my prefecture, as little as I actually get to do it. But hiking in Japan is magical. There's always some surprise awaiting you. Like a little restaurant with wasabi soba run by an adorable grandma, rope bridges to sway across, and endless amounts of waterfalls.
Many people ask why I didn't choose to live in Tokyo, but for me, you just can't beat the Fuji views, sea, and the mountains. Knowing that I wouldn't handle the big city life and choosing to live in a smaller area was the right choice for me.
2) Changed Perspective
This one goes for so many different aspects in my life. Traveling really has put into perspective just how small menial tasks and problems may be. Seeing that other people can be happy with much less makes you realize how thankful you should be, and now, it almost feels hard to relate to problems of everyday life in America.
I want less stuff, I want more experiences. And I hope that is something that always stays with me.
3) The Lifestyle
It's not a vacation, but it's still an adventure. Which is something I tell myself when I start to lose sight of the fact that I am lucky enough to be living in this country. I can't explain it fully, but there are these weird surreal moments that strike you at random times and you have to step back and take it all in. Like when you find yourself at the bottom of a mountain making stained glass Mt. Fuji ornaments listening to a guitar player sing 'Daydream Believer' in Japanese.
On a more realistic, less magical note, my day to day life is busy, hectic, and tiring. But I can totally hermit in a cafe or my bed when I need to study or sleep an extra few hours on a random weekday, without having to cancel plans or disappoint anyone around me if I need to be selfish with my time. Studying while working full-time is so time consuming, and I'm thankful that I can just focus on what I need to do to get to the next step.
I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving and has multiple things to be thankful for this year.
-Jessie
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