I woke up this morning and saw that it had been snowing since early morning. The last time I saw snow like this was probably a couple years ago. It seems like such long time ago, though I suppose that’s due to the number of things that have happened between then an now. Foregoing the obvious state of the world and unfortunate ongoing events, The past few years for me have also been full of positive change. Two years ago, I had recently moved in with my significant other (now fiancée), and we were excited for the bright future ahead. So of course the day after we moved in, the pandemic hit full force in Japan and I caught an unrelated illness that put me out for about 2 weeks. Still, it was the beginning of our time in our first apartment. Looking to further our opportunities, we will soon leave this home. As the final days count down, I reflect upon all that has happened in our time here.

I should state that we have a name for our current apartment: Kame House. The reason for this may be obvious if you watch anime, but for those who don’t, in the Japanese animation ‘Dragonball’, there is a pink house on an island where a martial arts master lives. Our apartment also being pink, we decided to refer to it as such. The apartment itself has been nice, providing just enough space for the two of us to be comfortable.

Kame House isn’t the biggest or the flashiest place to live, but for the past couple of years it’s been perfect for us. Well, except for the constant threat of wasps building a nest just outside our door.

In addition to the actual apartment, the surrounding area is what really drew us in. There are plenty of beautiful parks nearby, and nice walking paths surrounded by foliage.

The parks are especially beautiful in the spring when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom.

The paths are perfect for evening summer strolls, with the gentle (or sometimes deafening) cry of cicadas.

Close by is a nice little café known as Penny Lane. It’s a Beatles themed café that serves baked good and drinks. They also have their own coffee blend known as ‘Imagine Blend’, which to be honest isn’t the best (I like to joke that you have to ‘imagine’ that it’s coffee). The baked goods are where the establishment shines, as they are made fresh and come in different varieties. Weather you enjoy sweet or savory, there’s probably something here for you. Sitting inside or outside, normally you can enjoy listening to a playlist of some of the Beatles’ greatest hits. The last few times we visited, though, the music was oddly absent. A bit of a disappointment, to say the least. Still, it’s a place I’ll miss having ready access to.

Leaving the apartment and the surrounds is of course difficult, but it’s also difficult to leave knowing that the last two years, as tough as they have been, have provided me with some of the greatest growth I’ve had in a while. I’ve made great advances in my personal habits, including cooking more rather than eating out. I wouldn’t say I’m great at cooking, but there is a certain joy I experience in the process. It can even be relaxing to me, depending on the circumstances. My fiancée and I both enjoy cooking when we can, and we both have our strengths. I feel more comfortable with meats and pastas, while I believe she handles Asian dishes and flour based cooking better (tortillas especially!). Below is just a small sampling of the many dishes we’ve made over the past few years here.

During this time I’ve made great strides in my study habits as well. Not only have I gotten to a point with my Japanese where I feel comfortable using it for day to day activities, I’ve even managed to do the same for Spanish. It’s to the point where I rarely look at textbooks and flashcards anymore (at least for those two languages), as I prefer to spend my ‘study time’ reading books and other material in my target language(s).

Of course I’ve also made advances in my career, such as taking on leadership roles, learning more about teaching, as well as realizing the type of teacher I’d like to become. I plan to start new endeavors in my career in the coming months, which will test my skills while (hopefully) providing me invaluable experience. My fiancée has similar changes happening in her career as well, and we do our best to support each other in pursuing our goals.

In short: despite the obvious dismal state of the world the past couple of year, I’ve had some of my most important life events and changes during this time, all of them during which I lived in Kame House. Knowing that it was my home base during such a pivotal time, it makes it all the harder to leave. Still, the fact that it’s hard shows that it meant something, and I can leave knowing that we’re pursuing something greater. We’ll always have the memories.

Thank you, Kame House.

They say spring is when

life’s changes start to flower.

To new beginnings.