Everyday Joys on Our Daily Adventure

Now that our sickness has lifted I feel like I am enjoying everything again through fresh eyes. I got to savor a cup of coffee completely by myself this afternoon, which has been a bit of a novelty since our adventure started. I’ve been reflecting on things that I am thankful for right now, and the current space we are living in is definitely one of them. Here’s a few more.

Friendly Locals and a Fantastic Grocery Store

This sweet lady stopped Dave and the kids in the subway station the other day to ask if they needed help. We actually weren’t lost, they were just waiting on me to load more money onto my Suica card. Regardless, it was so kind of this lady. She asked Dave what we had been doing in Japan and then proceeded to quiz them on their knowledge gained from our visit to the Osaka Castle (they failed). She recommended we also go the Osaka Aquarium, which is already on our list.

Something we didn’t have in Tokyo was a big grocery store close by. Getting food wasn’t hard – we had multiple convenience stores, an abundance of restaurants, and a small grocery store nearby. Here in Osaka though we have a fantastic grocery store about a 10 minute walk away. They have delicious ready made sushi, meals, and everything is relatively inexpensive. Fun fact about shopping here: during checkout, they put all of your groceries into a cart, which you then take over to a counter to bag yourself. The process runs extremely smoothly. I can’t see this working in America, where we get giant cartloads of groceries – but it works great here.

Alexis’ Latest Deep Dive

One of my hopes for the kids during this year was that they would find a passion to devote their time to. We are in a rare situation here where they have more free time than they would normally have. If you know Alexis, you know that she can really deep dive into a topic. This usually stems around a book she read and her new passion is book related too. It’s different this time around though because she’s the one writing the book! She has decided to write a personal memoir about our gap year. She has made tremendous progress so far. She’s designed the cover, and at last count has written over 17,000 words.

Outside Space for Braxton

Our house here has a good space for Braxton to be outside. Although it’s not the culdesac full of kids he’s accustomed to, he still always seems to find something to do. Everyone is happier the more time they spend outside and this is definitely true for him.

We are currently watching a recording of the Bronco’s game. There are no nachos or chili cooking in a crock pot, but it still makes it feel a little like fall. I’ve had a lot of friends sending me pictures of the beautiful fall colors happening in Colorado right now, which makes me very happy! I had no idea I would miss the seasons so much. Even though the leaves aren’t changing where my feet are, I’m enjoying the sunshine and looking forward to getting back to the ocean next week!