Hard times

Hi!

I can't  belive it's already August. What happend to 2017? Is just goes by so fast. 2017 for me stared good but from April to June it was a hard time for me. It's better now but not all good.

I see myself as being quit lucky in life, not really had any extreme sad or painful times, just the normal kind of hard thing most people go though. Nothing special. But this April to June definitely was one of the hardes periods of my life so far. 




Moving to Yokohama I saw as a new chance and thought it could only get better. Why wouldn't it, right? New school, new place, new city. Well I'm not saying it's all bad but it definitely not all good either. My school is a good school with good teachers and I enjoy the subjects we study and my classmates are nice. But I for the first time in my life, I can't seem to find a "group" in the class where I feel like I belong. It's harder than I thought and definitely lonely. My new place is also very nice and in a pretty good location but now I share an apartment with only one other guy and we don't see each other that much so I pretty much feel like I live alone. Then to add to it all, pretty much all of my best girlfriends have left Japan now. So how was the new start? In one word, lonely. I never really felt lonely like this before in my life so it is hard. But I'm getting thought it and do see it as a challenge I just have to take on. 




Then the most hard thing of all happend. My grandfather passed away. Fairly sudden as well. His health had not been good for many years but at the end of Mars they discovered he had lung cancer and that it had gone too far to do anything. The doctors said he had about half a year to a year. Hearing this from my mom, I decided that I wanted to come home now during summer to see him at least once and talk. But just two weeks after that first phone call the second came and yes, my grandfather had died in his sleep. My grandparents on my moms side is the only relatives exempt my close family that I did meet regularly ever since I was born. Me and my brother always did spend most of the summer at theirs house in the countryside and it was one of my best summer memories as a child. It really really hurt that I was so far away and didn't get to see him one last time and say thanks for all the things he taught me and the great memories of my childhood. He was the one that taught me and my brother how to swim, to dive and to ride a bike. It was amazing. So being in Japan at that moment did suck. It was the worst emotional pain I've felt. 




He passed away just two days before my birthday was well, so it was not the happiest of birthdays. In the end of April I went back to Sweden for the funeral. It was a short and an emotional trip. I'm happy I got to see and be with my family even if it was only for a very short time. 




Then it was back to Japan and the loniness was more real than every. But I do have very good friends here, and my boyfriends is also here. So with their support it is definitely getting better and better. Now I feel like I have processed most of the loss of my grandfather but it's not over. I guess it never is completely. But it is okay, I'm okay!

Hope you guys also get trough what ever hard time you may encounter. I know we can do it.

Many hugs!


〜Living the dream〜

Summer vacation

Hi guys!

Yet again it took me so long to update the blog! Sorry for that.

I'm on my way back from Kochi at the moment. Writing this on the airplane to be exact! So nice with "in air" wifi! Two weeks ago, the day I arriverat in Kochi, me and Y also had our 1 year anniversary so the perfect day to arrive in Kochi.

We went on a small trip together to a very small secluded island! We did snorkeling and sea kayak. Snorkling was a first for me and since I'm scared of the ocean it definitely was a challenge but it was more fun than I first thought it would be. The trip to the Uguru island was an amazing adventure I will not soon forget.

We also went to a firework festival and saw some Yosakoi dance preformances. The traditional Yosakoi dance originated from Kochi so it's a very big part of Kochi tradtions. Sadly I did go back before the biggest Yosakoi festival which is next week. To bad I didn't  get to see that one but at lest I went to the smaller one. It was a really fun evening.

Since it's  super hot in Kochi (and japan in general) we spent a lot of days just cooling down by the river. The rivers in kochi are so beautiful! The water is also not cold at all if you compare to Sweden!

I of course enjoyed a lot of the tasty local food but this time me and Yoshi did cook a lot at home as well.
Some days we just spent chilling at the apartment. Watching the anime One piece or a movie we rented.

Feels a bit sad to have to say goodbye today but my brother will come to Japan to visit me for two weeks from tomorrow so that will be so much fun! I will definitely make sure to enjoy this summer and hang out with all the important people in my life!

Hope you guys also have a good summer and make som good memories.

〜Living the dream〜

It's alive again!

So, here I was a sunny Friday afternoon with some free time on my hands and it felt like I had forgotten something for a long time. Then it hit me, damn I'm suppose to be writing a blog! This realization made me log in and to my fear discover that the last post was in October...

I very sorry for this everyone. Yes, I'm sure thousand are reading this regularly.

Now, it being mars 2017 and all, I though I should give you a short recap of what has happend here in my life in Tokyo since then. I will soon also have a "New start" in April that I also will explain about in the end of this post.

The biggest things that happend in the end of 2016 was me getting my letter of accepts for my new vocational school which is school called a senmongakko (専門学校) here in Japan. I will study Japanese and different business related subjects that are suppose to help me find full time employment here in Japan. The program is for 2 years. My school is called Yokohama Design Collage so I'm aslo hoping to be able to take some courses in deign and fashion.

The second thing that happend was me taking the Japanese language proficiency test in December and in the end of February got the notification that said I pass the exam. So finally I have the N2 diploma! The joy at the moment is hard to describe.

The third big thing is fining a part-time job here. I'm actaully doing two. One is the typical teaching englihs but the second one is as a sales assistant at Forever 21 in Shinjuku. This job is defiantly challenging but also a lot of fun. As they say, you can't improve unless you challenge yourself.

Considering all this, I must say that the end of 2016 and star of 2017 was great for me. Makes one worry if something bad is waiting around the corner.. but I belive in focusing on the next step and deal with life and its hurdles as it goes on.

Everyday life is passing by with school, work and having fun on the weekends with friends. We did two small trips. One to Hakone and one to Kawaguchiko which is two beautiful towns relativity close to Tokyo. The are also a lot of causal parties at the share house which always makes being home a lot of fun as well.

What about the new start thing then? Aren't life good as it is? I would say, yes it is. But the laguage school I'm going to at the moment but will graduate from next friday is not very stimulating. I'm getting tired on every day studying the same things and tha thing being only Japanese. I love japanese but it's getting a bit.. tiresome. I want to learn something els, something new.

As the name of my new school implies, it's in Yokohama which means that at the end of this month I will move to Yokohama. New school and new house. I hate saying good bye to good friends ones again but the end of one thing in the begging on something els as it is said. I just have to deal with the good bye and keep on moving forward. I'm also thing about star a new hobby once in Yokohama and finelly getting a gym memebership. I really want to get in better shape again. Miss my running with J in sweden. The best!

In about an hour Me, Danni and Matt will go out for some drinks and food. I should highly be getting ready. This will be the end of this post

Stay well, and stay positive.

〜Living the dream〜

Off we go to Kochi!

Hi guys!

My autumn break was sure filled with a lot of travel! Last Thursday I repacked my bags and headed put to Haneda airport to catch a fligh to Kochi! 

Kochi is a prefecture on the Touhoku island that is just outside of the Osaka area in Japan. The more souther parts of Japan. I went there to visit Yoshi since he now from one week back is studying at kochi university again. He has about 3 semesters left so from now on we have to do ours best with long distance! But at least we live in the same country. Better than nothing!

I also have a lot of friends studying and living in Kochi and also head stories about the place for such a long time that it was a place I really wanted to visit. and I'm so happy I did.

There is three things that are amazing with Kochi and that really made me like the place! 

The first one is nature. So much breath taking nature that surrounds you in Kochi! Such a beautiful place to live in. There is a lot of mountains and rivers so if you are like me and prefer that kind of nature you definitely should visit Kochi a least once in you're in Japan. Went I took the bus form the airport to kochi center I was amazed about just how much and beauty nature there was! Think I have got used to the city scenery since moving to Tokoy so I forgot just how nice nature actually can be. I really makes you relax!

The second one is food and drinks! The quality and taste of the local food in kochi is out of this world! So much better than the things I have had in Tokoy. We usually ate at small local izakayas and I ate the famous okatsunotataki fish and had yuzu drinks. Kochi is famous for local yuzu alcohol and a kind of fish called okatsu that you according to Yoshi that is the most tasty when  from Kochi. So no complains about the food! I also prefer the atmosfrear in a small izakaya than the bigger ones in Tokyo. That you can just take you bike to the izakaya, go in and know the name of the owner and workers, say hi and just enjoy good food and drinks with friends, that is one of the things I like the most! The relaxed and friendly feeling!  

The last night we also visited Hiromeichiaba which is like a big indoor food court where you can enjoy a lot of different famous food all in one place! Basically you go around and buy the food and drinks you want and then sit down at a table in the middle of the hall and chat and have fun. It seemed to be popular with people in all ages, young students, workers, families and older people as well! I absolutely loved  the atomosfear at that place! It sure is a most if you ever visit kochi. 

The third and last thing is to enjoy outdoor activities! we decide to  have a outdoor day at the river with swimming and relaxing and also go to go on a 2 hour long kajak tour down one of the more famous rivers! I have never done that before so it really was a great experience! A bit scary in the beginning but after I got used to it it was just an amazing two hours of nature and adventrure! Hope I can do more of it in the future! Of course Yoshi being Yoshi be managed to fall over once during the tour! I couldn't stop laughing!

So my time in Kochi was in one word, AMAZING. I will definitely come back soon again! Hopefully in December over Christmas! Maybe even earlier if I have the money, need to get a part time job!

I will soon be landin in Tokyo and time to get back to my busy reality and work hard both in school and to find work so I can start to save money!

Hope you guys are doing well as well, 

Until next time! Hugs!