As many of you know from my last post, we are saying sayonara to our life in Tokyo. In a month we will be relocating to Denver, Colorado. It will be quite an adjustment living in the U.S. again, but before I have to deal with that transition, I’m trying to take in all that I can here in Tokyo. Just yesterday, I was walking around our neighborhood thinking about how difficult this move is going to be. I feel like I became an adult in Tokyo. That may sound silly being that 30 is just around the corner for me. I should have already done that growing up thing, right? But it’s true. Leaving everything familiar for a life on this island called Japan took more growing up than I have ever had to do. And I am grateful for that.
I’ve been trying to think of what I will miss the most when our time here is through. The list is endless, really. I’ll miss the produce vending machines that are filled with locally grown vegetables daily, the train station and its surrounding restaurants and shops, our cozy little apartment that we’ve made into a home…and the food. Yes, of course the food.
Shortly after hearing that we would be moving, Brad and I decided to make dinner with ingredients that will be difficult if not impossible to find (or afford) in Denver. This donburi is what came of our findings. Salmon and kanpachi sashimi with creamy uni (sea urchin) piled over homemade sushi rice. Simple yet indulgent. And definitely not something we will frequently eat after our move.
Yes, we are making the most of our last weeks in Tokyo. And also growing more and more anxious for the next chapter. There is some exciting news on that front; we bought a house! It’s a definite fixer-upper, but we are so thrilled to have a home that will be all ours. We will be spending a lot of time renovating the interior of the home and truth be told I’m quite happy about this project. It’s amazing to think that in the next couple of months we will be going from life based on walking, trains, bicycles and apartment living to a house, backyard, and cars. Yikes.
