The next two weeks, besides the normal stuff I do, I am trying to get ready for vacation.  It always makes me sigh and laugh to think about how much you have to do just to get ready for a trip, especially if you are going out of town.

So far I have:

• lined up my kitty/house sitters. Yay Queens MFA connections!
• purchased some new pairs of jeans cause mine are close to being holey
• gotten new bags for the trip so we don’t have to check any baggage
• attempted to learn some Japanese
• gotten a good travel guide so I have a general list of stuff to do
• picked up a travel hair dryer cause that is the only thing not listed as being in our room
• gotten a good pair of walking shoes and broke them in yesterday

Left to do:

• I’d really like to get a plain colored hoodie with pockets.  The last time we went to Japan back in April of 2006, I had a great blue hoodie from Eddie Bauer.  I somehow lost it at one of my MFA residencies bummer
• make myself not pack too early
• continue to do good long walks and practice taking stairs cause we do A LOT of walking on vacation

I’m very much looking forward to the trip.  Back in 2006 when we went to Tokyo, the trip, in some ways, was more for my husband and his brother who came with us because they have been “into” most things Japanese for years.  But, I found such a sense of peace on the trip that I was very excited about trying to go back and this time we are going to Kyoto.

After I got back from the last trip to Japan, I started writing again, which has a little bit of backstory, but I’ll keep it short.

I quit writing around 2000 when I was 25.  After that we bought a house and I was focusing on work.  As I turned 30 in 2005 my life just didn’t seem to be what I wanted it to be.  I started evaluating things, I put on weight *sigh* and it took a while but I got a clearer picture after the trip to Japan.  So, yes I started writing again.  I shortly, thereafter, had some haikus accepted for publication and then I applied for the Queens MFA program to which I was then accepted.  I started that in January of 2007, I left my job in July 2007 and now I feel, in some ways, I’ve come full circle but I’m such a different person.

Sadly, the weight that I thought I’d be able to lose after leaving work just hasn’t come off but I’m dealing with it and I’m still happier then I have ever been in my life.

So, yeah, I’m annoyed I’ll be overweight *again* going to Japan but I feel like I’m in better shape and in a better frame of mind so I think that this trip will be even more amazing than the first one.

And maybe all this prep and all the walking there will put me a step forward in my last battle to conquer–the weight battle.

Oh, and when I get back, I think I’m ready to go back and do some work.  Most likely part time.  Anyone hiring?