Spring is coming.

The view from my house this morning.

I checked the weather for this week and they are reporting highs in the high 60's. It looks like spring is right around the corner. Skiing season ends in May, so there are only a few more weeks left to get out on the slopes.

I guess I think about these things more lately because we're entering out "lasts." This coming April will be our last April in Japan. This summer will be our last summer.....our last winter....by this time next year we should have a pretty good idea of where we are moving next. John is going to visit his family in June, when he returns, he goes straight into the process of picking his next duty location. I have the usual nerves I have when I know this process has been set into motion.... I'm both excited and sad to leave Japan. It is difficult to live so far away from your friends and family. The culture shock adds an extra dose of stress sometimes. I'm not complaining, I've made it in Japan this far and have had a wonderful time, but it will be nice to be much closer to my family and John's family. It will also be nice to be back in the land of wide roads, million acre parking lots, and Targets.

I do have to start thinking about a Japan "bucket list" or things I absolutely want to do before I leave Japan. They include:

- Cup of Noodle ramen museum in Yokohama -- you get to design your very own cup of noodles
- Tokyo Sky Tree -- tallest structure in Japan
- Hiroshima -- would love to take the bullet train here
- Climb Mt. Fuji -- let's be real, I don't want to do this, but John does, so I guess we're doing it

I think realistically that's a good list. I look forward to our last year in Japan and hope it's as much fun as our first two years were.