The Simple Pleasures

When one is so far from home and surrounded by a foreign culture, one will inevitably feel homesick at some point. Its natural. One of the best methods I have found for cheering myself up during times when I miss home is to practice some gratitude, and to think of all the simple pleasures living in Japan provides. One of the cool things about living in Tokyo is that every outing, chore, task, trip, etc is significant no matter how mundane it may appear. 

1.   Some of My Simple Pleasures

1. Cheap delicious food from the ubiquitous "combini"(convenient stores like 7-11, Family Mart, etc)
2. Eating ridiculous foods you never knew existed (melon soda, cheese ice cream, green tea kit-kats, pizza flavored potato chips, etc)
3. Drinking hot cans of milk coffee I buy for 80yen from the vending machine on cold, frosty mornings
4. Every trip to the grocery store is an adventure. I never find all the things I'd like to buy, but I also always find something unexpected and new. 
5.  Every time I successfully hang up all my laundry to dry is a triumph
6.  Learning how to be quick and nimble enough to secure myself a seat on the rush-hour train for my morning commute
7. Public toilets that have more special features than my cellphone back home, and will do everything but wipe for you
8. Cellphones that have more special features than my computer back home, and are much cuter too 
9. Noticing that slowly but surely the number of signs written in kanji that I am able to read is increasing
10. Getting utterly lost and finding my way again
11. Enjoying all the rich, traditional culture Japan has to offer, as well as its abundant and beautiful nature
12. Bonding with friends as we drink to forget our homesickness
13. How much gratitude I have developed for all the things I miss from home and use to take for granted
14. Eating a three course meal at a family restaurant for 800yen, and not having to pay tax or tip 
15. Always standing out from the crowd
16. Experiencing seasons completely different from the ones I am use to from home
17. Learning what I'm really made of and just how strong I can actually be  

Me enjoying the simple pleasure of nature