Home Sweet Home (Sort of)

Where I spend all my time....
I love Japanese landscaping
Everything in Japan is convenient

So, I have made it to Japan.....Land of the Rising Sun.  I'm here in Narita and I was going to go out today and take a few pictures around the hotel to give you a feel of what my layovers are like here....but it is pouring rain outside, so I am kind of stuck in the hotel for the day.  The pictures above are some that I had in "my file." The first picture is my hotel.  The second is just a bush on the grounds, but I love how they prune everything and their attention to detail.  And the third picture, well, it just cracks me up that there are vending machines EVERYWHERE.  Even in the middle of nowhere in the rice fields.  So funny.  It's hard to believe that it has almost been 19 years since I first came to Japan.  When I first got my mission call, I was extremely disappointed.  I had no interest in Asia whatsoever.  But once I got here and assimilated a bit, I realized that Japan is a good fit for me.  I like the way they respect nature (think Mt. Fuji), but I also like all the neon energy of the big cities.  And everything is so convenient!  And all the electronic gadgets.  I love it.  I love the culture.  I love the art. I even like the food....most of it anyway.  I still don't really do sushi.  So in a lot of ways, Japan is like my second home.  I never feel like I am in a foreign country when I am here (even when the cleaning lady comes in to do her thing when I'm using a public restroom).  Everything just seems normal.  True, my Japanese needs some work.  I don't understand everything that's going on anymore, but somehow I make it work.  Nihon ai shite imasu!