Week off!

I don't have to work this week, and it's been great to have my life back! I didn't realize how much I've been missing out on with friends and social events. I decided to quit my job, so I am officially done working at the end of this month... and I can't wait! I'm counting down the days until I'm done - March 25th! :) Don't get me wrong, teaching in Japan has been an incredible experience. I've learned a lot, explored new areas, met new people, made some extra money, and really enjoyed the kiddos. But I'm ready to move on and get back into a regular routine at home. Our house has been a disaster, especially since Joe is in grad school now. He doesn't have much time to help out, so most of the responsibilities are falling on me right now. It doesn't help that since we live downtown I have to go to about 5 different grocery stores each week to get what we need... and with no car, it can be difficult and time consuming. It's overwhelming to try to work and keep up with everyday life in Japan. So I've made the decision, and I can't wait!

This week I was able to go back to the Meet & Greet, a gathering of foreign women at a local American restaurant once a month. It was nice to catch up with friends, see people I haven't seen in a long time, and meet new people. I'm looking forward to adding this back into my life next month.

I was also able to go back to Ikebana class! I didn't realize how much I miss this! I go with a group of girls that I've become really close with, and I miss having the opportunity to see them regularly. This is another activity that I'm looking forward to adding back into my life. This week I did freestyle, here is a pic of my final product.

This is what I recreated after bringing my flowers home. It actually looked much cuter in class because I had a different shape of vase. I love the pink gerber daisies.

My other big news is that I booked my flight home for the summer! I'll be arriving in Michigan on May 27th and leaving on July 15th. However, during that time I will also be traveling to Savannah with my family to visit Michael, going to Tucson to see the von Scheliha family, and then to Seattle for Eric & Fran's wedding. It will be a crazy and hectic summer, but I can't wait to finally see everyone!