Blue Christmas

I generally have very strong opinions about Christmas decorations and music before Thanksgiving. Back home I would never condone such unsympathetic gestures toward Thanksgiving. But alas I have crossed over to the dark side of commercialized Christmas in a non-Christian nation and have been listening to Christmas music for a couple weeks now. I even went and enjoyed the public decorations and atmosphere in a department store; I went only for the decorations and music. As I am writing this post, I am shamelessly listening to Christmas music on accuradio.com and really loving every minute of it. (All but the Elvis really, his voice is so annoying!)

Missing the holidays at home is proving to be much more difficult that I anticipated. I guess I should have known, because the past few years when I have had to miss Easter at home it really got to me. I don't know what I was thinking assuming that Thanksgiving and Christmas away were going to be fine. The plan as it stands? Work. I want to completely work through each of the holidays I am missing and focus more on my friends and social life here, rather than the family life I am missing at home. Of course I cannot ignore the fact that Christmas is coming, but I don't have to fixate on it. I am doing some major Christmas shopping and sending boxes home soon. I am listening to the music because it makes me smile and feel extra warm in my chilly apartment.

When it comes right down to it, I miss my family an incredible amount. But I have been truly blessed with the caring and happy friends I have made here. In a case where a substitute for family is due, they are so much better than I could have ever prayed for. I am looking forward to walking around Tokyo, decorated with lights and excitement and just reminding myself how freaking cool it is that I am in one of the biggest cities in the whole world - and it's just a normal day!