5 Things in Anticipation of Japan

Sunrise at Kozu 国府津. Image by flickr user joka2000

Reading Gretchin Rubin's blog The Happiness Project has really given me a lot of insight into my own happiness and many great ideas for how to enjoy life even more. One that has really stuck with me is the four stages of happiness (anticipate, savour, express, reflect). So, here's is a list of things I'm anticipating with pleasure about our upcoming trip to Japan. There's 5 days until we leave and here's a little list of 5 things I'm anticipating with pleasure, in no particular order. (This list could be much longer if I listed all the sights, attractions, etc. but I figured I'd keep it short and general and keep the specifics for when I've got pictures and stories to go with them.)

• A really long plane ride. You may think I'm joking about this one, but I'm not. I have many fond memories of long car, or plane, or train rides from childhood. The vibrations of a moving vehicle seem to relax me. When I have a headache, going for a car ride actually makes me feel better! Weird, I know. So, the thought of a nice long (roughly 11 hours) plane ride filled with naps, podcasts, reading, writing, and an in-flight movie, is actually really appealing. Even waiting in the airport doesn't really bother me! And, I've decided that even though my husband can get grumpy with waiting, I'm not going to let it bother me. In fact, I'm going to do my best to do nice things for him and help him have a good time too.

• Warm weather. I've been checking temperatures in Japan and it's about 8-10 degrees (Celsius) warmer than here. It will be really nice to not be too cold all the time (I'm wearing fleece pants, wool socks, and a sweater as I type, and it isn't even that chilly inside).

• Train rides. Similar to the plane ride, but it'll be different from the trains I've been on in the past. I'm really looking forward to visiting places that have bustling train stations with more than 2 rail lines! It'll be a challenge to navigate the different connections and train options, but I'm looking forward to it. Plus, I've heard it's considered very bad etiquette to talk on a cell phone while on the train, so they should be much quieter than our local ones.

• Pushing my limits. We've finished all 90 Japanese lessons and I feel fairly comfortable that we'll be able to muddle our way through. But, both my husband and myself are a bit introverted. For this trip we're keeping our itinerary very open so we'll literally be forced to interact with a lot of people. We have one hotel booked and no pre-paid attractions arranged, so we'll really have to get out there and talk to people.

• Going with everything I need in one bag. I'm finding it a very freeing experience to have to put everything in one bag. We did a test run packing last night and both had room to spare. It's going to be nice to not worry about losing or damaging much stuff. Plus, we won't have to worry about carrying heavy suitcases. Our limited wardrobe means we might not get to eat at a fancy restaurant, but we won't have to worry about the bill either. Plus, no fancy clothes means I don't have to concern myself with a wide selection of cosmetics, jewellery, or what extra shoes to pack. If we find we really need something while we're there, we'll be able to buy it locally anyway.