The Honeymoon Is Over

If you read a lot of expat-in-Japan blogs like I do, you will likely run across some posts about the "stages" a person goes through during their expatriation.  They always start with a "honeymoon" period that eventually descends into a negative "Japan-is-terrible" state of mind.  I always took this idea with a grain of salt but unfortunately I am finding that it might be true....lately I seem to be out of the honeymoon stage and squarely in the "Blech, everything here sucks." stage. 

This is part of the reason that I've neglected the blog a little bit lately---the unhappy stage apparently induces writer's block.  But I am going to do better and get back to writing and I will be positive!  After I finish venting in this post, that is. ;)

Some of the contributing factors to my mood are:

1) The dreary, dreary, winter weather.  Winter really makes you realize how much more concrete there is here.  I am looking forward to seeing my flowers and frogs again.  The cold here is different from the cold in South Carolina too--here it is a dry, biting, windy, bright sunshine cold whereas in SC it was more a damp, overcast cold.  Our drafty Japanese house with it's million little heaters is also getting a little old.

2) As some of you already know, we are expecting a baby on September 3rd!  I have been in the first trimester for the past few months which, interestingly enough, coincides with my descent into the Japanese blues.  Therefore I am optimistically chalking most some of my mood up to hormones.  One of my biggest problems lately has been with food and smells---a lot of Japanese stuff turns my stomach.  (You can go reread this post now with a whole new insight.)  While I never loved Japanese food, I was fairly tolerant of it before.  Now, though, even the smell of it is repulsive.  Some days I swear this whole country smells like fish and cabbage....  I also mainly crave specific American restaurant food which I can't get here.

The good news is that all those other blogs confirm that this stage is temporary and everyone passes through it to a happier, or at least neutral, frame of mind.  We are also trying to plan trips to Yokohama/Kamakura and Kyoto this summer, these are both supposed to be beautiful places so hopefully that will perk me up.  Not to mention the excitment of a baby on the way!  Look for some future posts about my experiences being pregnant here (all positive so far) and our plans for how the entire process is going to go down. :)