Life, Lately: Touristy Things, Creative Outlets, and Reasons

Heyaaaa! Long time no Life, Lately! Been a little worn out with work and whatnot these past six weeks that I can barely blog! I admit, I've been really sucking at time management and project juggling lately but I'd like to think I'm busy due to worthwhile reasons, ha. *wink*

Reasons, reasons, reasons.

Oh, reasons, let me begin~

Reason Number 1: I've been playing tourist whenever I go out with my beau or with friends. Japan has so sooooo much to offer when it comes to this area that even if I've been living here for four years now *yay*, I still find bits and pieces of the country interesting. It's as if it won't run out of spark, maybe not now, maybe never. Geez, even manhole covers are pretty in my opinion!!! That's how charmed I am of Japan 笑笑

1.1. Interesting cafes and restaurants are everywhere, from main roads to little nooks, ah just everywhere~

1.2. And oh, did I mention that karaoke places lend costumes for costumers for free? In my whole Japan stay I haven't been in one of those funky costumes until my beau and I impulsively went to a karaoke place one Sunday feeling fancy, touristy, and all, that we had the guts to try those out! Tried it again with friends and it sure made our karaoke experience so lit!!! Would totally do it again! And speaking of costumes, I  even went on a kimono tour in Asakusa with friends (it's also my first time to visit the famed Senso-ji, can you believe it haha)! Touristy level 10000! 

  

Reason Number 2: Work
Full-time and part-time teaching. Need I say more? Honestly, I'm getting a little bored with my proper job lately. Been working at the same old company for some years already so I might need a new environment? A new challenge, maybe? But then I guess my part-time job suffices for the "challenge" I want so I'm still sticking to the routine. I'm thankful that through my part-time job, I get to meet different people, which consequently means I get to know life views other than mine. Fortunately, most of my conversation students are older and more experienced at life than me so they give me lots of views about things, which I find really valuable and useful. They learn from me, I learn from them. And I get some moolah to fund my travels, too. So much win 笑.

Reason Number 3: Getaways

Oh my goodness. I really thought I can stick to the plan of 2017 being my creative year, unlike 2016 which was my travel year. But lo and behold, whenever and wherever a chance presents itself, I grab it. I think it's because of my seemingly desperate need to "escape" everything that stresses me out. Yeah, I get stressed, too. All the time, in fact. And my hair has been playing the very willing victim, oh my. Sorry hair. But yeah, I wish I can make proper blog posts on these getaways soon.

Osaka-Kyoto-Nara New Year Trip | EchigoYuzawa, Niigata | Tokamachi Snow Festival

Atami, Shizuoka | Ashikaga, Tochigi | Nikko, Tochigi

You can read about my Echigo Yuzawa and Ashikaga trip here and here, respectively. But still, sooo many backlogs!!!☹

Reason Number 4: Creative Outlets

This is the reason of all the reasons I think I like the most. I've mentioned from past tweets(Twitter:@alyssashimode) that I kinda decided 2017 as my creative year, you know, finally acknowledging and supporting my love for lists and planning and stickers and paper products and journaling, with open arms. Now I have a daily planner and a goal notebook that I update once in a while and spruce up with washi tapes and stickers I've hoarded since my first year of living in Tokyo until nowww. Also this year, I decided to join in with the bandwagon and document my travels through the Traveler's Notebook. I've been nearing to finish one notebook of travels!!! Yay! Also I started the Eki Sutampu project of mine, the aim of which is to collect train stamps all over Japan, if available. 

I also made two more Instagram accounts besides my main account which is @alyssashimode, namely Nippon Streets @nipponstreets and 6750MILES @6750miles for more digital creative outlets because the previous ones (planner and journals) are a little too personal for me to share online (but sometimes I do for okay things hehe). Nippon Streets is where I post interesting tidbits of the streets I get to walk on every day, while 6750MILES is a collaboration between my friend Greggy and I, wherein we merge snaps of our daily lives in the respective cities we now call home, New York and Tokyo. 

   

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Yayyyy that was looong!!! So many ganaps in my life but I'm thankful that I get to do things I enjoy (well, along with things I don't enjoy doing that much haha)! Thanks for reading this life update! Hope you are doing well today!