Look out Australia! Here I come!

Just checking in. I haven't blogged much here lately. There hasn't been a lot to say. My friends threw me a lovely temakizushi (hand-rolled sushi) party for my birthday. I finished work for the school year and am now on holidays. I've been madly procrastinating getting ready to go away tomorrow. Don't get me wrong - I've been busy, just doing the less important (but way more fun) things in preparation for this trip like making a new travel documents folder and new jewellery to wear. I haven't started packing yet.

It's funny, if you spoke to me a few days ago I would have told you how I couldn't wait to get out of this country. I hated this last winter. I was so cold all the time, I got sick a number of times and everything around me was grey. I got terribly down and had no interest in the things I normally love. The only thing that perked me up was chocolate and donuts and I could not get enough of them.

Now, the days are suddenly warm, the plum blossoms are out, the cherry soon to follow, the sun is shining and I'm in love with Japan again. I'm fully of energy (well as full as energy as I ever get) and have been up until 2am most nights busy making things. I suspect I may actually get homesick while I'm away. Coming from Brisbane, where this isn't a great change in the weather over the year, until living in Japan, I had never realised how dramatically my long-term mood can be affected by the seasons.

But cherry blossoms or not, tomorrow I'm off to Australia, I'll be hopping in with the Easter Bunny. I have a long list of people I can't wait to see and foods that I can't wait to eat. I'm looking forward to being surrounded by English.

See you when I get back!