Reflecting on 2014

It's the last day of the year and I'm sitting on the train thinking about this past year. As people are wont to do at this time of the year. 

There were a lot of terrible things that happened in the world. There were undoubtedly good things as well, but the news seldom broadcasts that. I found it too difficult for me to watch at times and I then found myself guiltily turning away and selfishly losing myself in my own happy world. 

And even though I felt guilty doing so, I wouldn't change it. I was so fortunate to have an amazing year. There were a few tough times and there were plenty of tears, but the love that I had around me carried me through those moments. 

I was surprised to learn all the different forms that love comes in. I am blessed with love from parents, family, non-blood sisters, friends, and at times colleagues and students. And this year I also had the new experience of love from a partner. 

This is the love I think about the most these days. As someone who never really liked romance, but still got "girly" at others' stories, I still can't really believe it. That kind of love is real?! I was so lucky to find or be found by my partner. He made my year and life unbelievably happy. And I'm looking forward to calling him my husband.

So, what started at a reflection on the past year quickly became a sappy note about how great my love life is. I used to hate when people did that, but now that I've joined the ラブラブ (lovey-dovey) ranks, I'll offer a semi-sincere apology and post this anyway. 

And then I'm going to go home and make some Toshikoshi soba to ring in 2015. 

How things change!

I've been trying to clean up my photos on Facebook recently. Why on earth do I have around 100 albums?! It's insane. Well I decided to clean up, get rid of, and combine photos and albums starting from the beginning chronologically speaking. 

Abandoned umbrellas were still surprising in 2008

Anyway, I was so amused and intrigued by how the photos I take now are so different than the photos I took before. I should mention that I've been in Japan since the end of 2008 and I'm talking about the difference in photos from then to now.

I had never seen so many bikes at a time before.

Nowadays in 2014, I take pictures of friends, animals, pretty flowers, and so on. These are the same kind of photos I took back in Texas by the way. Only now people are usually sober. But the last few months 2008 and the beginning of 2009 were all of the most mundane things - pictures of my bed, my washer, a bike parking lot, and other things I wouldn't think twice about now. 

I had to use youtube to figure out how to use this.

I definitely felt some nostalgia looking at those pictures, but I also felt some "okay, that can go" too.

Toilets with a tap? So usual!