december + thoughts

december has arrived and it couldn't come soon enough. i will head home for christmas on december 19th and i am so so so excited. my time here in japan has been an experience and i am glad i came here but i still really miss home, even after nine months away. japan is full of amazing things and i have enjoyed many things here but i am ready to be back in oregon for the holidays and shortly thereafter for good! i have learned a lot since being here. i have realized that i enjoy and appreciate experiences when i can share them with someone close to me that i care about. while i do have a couple nice friends here, it's just not the same as having my friends and family around me. anyone who knows me knows that i am a people person and i love being surrounded by people but here i have sort of turned into a hermit a bit. i really like alone time now. i spend all of my evenings and sometimes the whole weekend by myself and that's how i like it. i think i just get overwhelmed being surrounded by japanese people all day everyday and i just need a break from it. i also hate being illiterate here; it is very weird to never really have any clue what is going on. i never know what's happening at school cause they all chatter around me and rarely tell me what is up. grrr! it's also really annoying to never be able to read anything! it was a little fun at first, everything being in japanese, but it has definitely lost its charm now! somethings still have their charm - biking around, taking the subway, the 100 yen shop and loft. i will be read to be home upon my return for the holidays and soon after for good. it's definitely going to be interesting to be back in portland and i can't wait.