10 Things That Have Made Me Giddily Happy Recently: 2012!

It’s been entirely too long since I’ve blogged, so I am going to make this update quick and full of photos. In keeping with tradition, this will be another installment of Things That Have Made Me Giddily Happy Recently!

(In somewhat-chronological order) 

1. Visiting Idaho 

Being home for Christmas and New Year’s means so much to me, and I am incredibly grateful that I could go. I felt especially blessed this year to spend time with my great grandma (pictured in the center) before she passed away. I love you, Grandma!

2.  Visiting Seattle

No trip back is complete without a trip to Seattle. I feel so vibrantly happy and alive when I am back with my friends dancing, eating, singing, playing, adventuring. I love it!

3. Javier

 My sweet man was supposed to permanently leave the island in January, but he was back within the month because of some work issues. He is disappointed to delay his career change, but I am super happy to have a little more time to spend together! :)

   

4. Cooking with Sarra!

Sarra and I have started weekly cooking adventures where we try to make some new delicious (usually Japanese) dish. It’s one of my favorite parts of the week, because I love spending time with Sarra and, let’s not kid, I love food. 

5. Sakura

Cherry blossom season has already come and gone here on the island. I attended two hanami festivals and an illumination in February, and it was a great way to usher in the spring.

6. Sunflowers

On the topic of flowers, there is also an annual sunflower festival in Kitanakagusuku. It was beautiful to see all those sunflowers stretching out around me. If only the sun had been shining at the same time. :) 

7. My Alarm Clock

This little bird has made my balcony its morning perch, and I often wake up to his trilling song. I love it so much that I went and bought bird seed to encourage him to stick around more. It seems to be working! 

 8. International Food Club!

Another food post, I know, but it fuels life and friendships so how can it not make me giddily happy?!  For Chinese New Year, some friends and I put together a fun potluck at my apartment. We all tried our hands at Chinese food, to varying levels of success, and it was so fun and delicious that we decided to make it a monthly event. 

Our second meeting was Thai food and the food people brought was even more delicious than the Chinese food. I made pad thai, and was pretty pleased with the outcome, despite the absence of tamarind paste.

 I also thoroughly enjoyed decorating my apartment for the occasion, and used the excuse to buy a bunch of thai style décor that I’ve had my eye on for awhile. :D 

9. Student Skits

Lady Gaga?

 I always reserve the last few weeks of Oral Communication class for skit. It’s probably my favorite thing to teach because I get to enjoy my students’ creativity, encourage them to be expressive, and shock them with my dramatic outbursts. ;)

10. Western World!!

 Sarra, our friend, Logan, and I learned of this magical place over a year ago but we didn’t make it all the way to Okinawa City to check it out until February. Now, we can’t stay away!! Sarra and I are absolutely obsessed with line dancing and two-steppin’, the atmosphere is really friendly and fun, and we can sing along to almost all the songs (I had no idea I knew so much country). We love it so much that we went twice last weekend and are already itching to get back this Friday!

So there you have it! A short, and hopefully not boring, update of my little life here in Okinawa. I hope to be consistent with blogging again, but my technology curse always seems to rise up and present some obstacle. I am finding new and creative ways around it, though, so keep your eyes open for future updates. :)

Thanks for reading!