Good morning!

I have several goals in mind for this upcoming year.

First: Take two Japanese culture classes a month.

This month, I am attending a Zazen meditation session. I'm not quite sure what this is, but I will post an update after my session next week.

I am also going to take a Japanese cooking class on May 21 from 10-12 at the Community Center on base. If anyone in Yokosuka is reading this, please consider signing up! The class needs 3 people in order to not be cancelled. So far, it's just me signed up. The food you will learn to make is tempura, which is a light fry on almost any vegetable. It should be delicious and the cost is only $15 for the class with a $5 material fee. Let's learn to cook tempura together!!

Second: Run the Tokyo Marathon.

I have already started training for this and have a blog: barajasmarathon.blogspot.com to track my progress. Don't expect anything too deep, it's just a cut and dry version of my runs and run goals. I needed a place to track my training to make sure I'm progressing and not taking it too easy on myself.

That's all the updates for now, more things coming next week!

I'm back!

So, in the last few weeks, I have been vacationing in San Jose, Las Vegas and my hometown in Alabama. It's always nice to go back home and recharge your batteries.

Me soaking up sun poolside in Las Vegas.

My dad is a school teacher and I was able to visit his classroom and talk to the students about life in Japan. They asked questions about money, living arrangements and food. It was a lot of fun to go back, but I can't say I'm rested. The jet lag has gotten to me and I find myself awake at 4am and ready to sleep by 6pm. I know it'll go away in about a week, but boy is jet lag annoying while it lasts.

I have a few random pictures to upload of things that have happened over the course of last month. In the upcoming weeks, I'll be starting my Japanese II course (online, because rumor has it you practice more speaking in the online course) and I'll be doing some cultural classes offered to us Americans. It sounds cheesy, but I'm going to take advantage of everything I can while I'm living here. Can you believe it has been a year already?

Tribute to cherry blossoms at the airport.

Character from the anime fair.

Melon Bear also made an appearance at the anime fair.

Chinese anime characters.

Lots of companies had costumed ladies at their booths.

Another anime character.