Friends and Fun!

So, there is a group of friends I’ve had in Japan pretty much from the time I got here. At first I hung out with them kind of sporadically, but now I am spending more and more time with them. I love this group of friends so much because first of all, everyone is really cool and nice, we have some similar interests, we come from different backgrounds which is interesting, the JET group also hangs with this group so I don’t feel like I’m torn between two groups of friends, and we always do really fun things together.  I feel so thankful and lucky to have met them all!

Here's part of the group.

Here's another part. Not everyone is pictured.

One great thing about this group is that we like to party together on a weekly basis. We go to bars, restaurants, and dance clubs which I really enjoy. I finally feel like I am living out the youth I skipped in college (I was a very serious student during those times and in a very serious relationship so I didn’t really have “the college experience.” I don’t really regret it though because I loved college anyway). Balabushka in Amemura (American Village) is like our main stomping ground. I have gone there pretty regularly since I moved to Japan, but now I like it even more because not only do I know many people who hang out there, I am also becoming familiar with all the workers, and they are also really nice and cool, too! It’s nice to feel like you belong somewhere. Everyone always smiles and says hello to me when I walk in. :D Ever since I started hanging out with this group more regularly, I am meeting more and more new people which I love! Plus, I’m making more Japanese friends! I have really been wanting some close Japanese friends ever since I moved here!!

Coolest bartenders ever!

Balabushka fun!

Just random times at Balabu.

Also, we do other random things together. For example, we went to a water park recently. Two of my friends in this group have cars, so we can go to places that I normally can’t go. Therefore, I have more opportunities to do interesting things with them. The water park was indoors and really fun! Afterwards, we went to a restaurant called the UK (which stood for University of Kentucky). They had a huge menu, huge food portions, neat décor, and a variety of America pops like Mountain Dew and A&W. Another thing I like about this group is that everyone is very chill and just goes with the flow. We have no problem just hanging out and talking for hours no matter where we are. There is no rush as long as we are having a good time.

The UK restaurant.

It seems like every time we hang out on the weekends, we stay out all night. I remember when pulling an all-nighter used to be a big deal, but now I have just come to accept that that’s what my Saturday nights will be…I love every second of it! Even my body has adjusted, and I don’t even get that tired when I stay out. We have been to various places over the past few weekends like the HUB, El Zocalo Burrito, an izakaya, Club JAWS, and of course Balabushka. The other day we went shopping together in Umeda for sleeping bags because we are going camping in two weeks! It will be my first time to really go camping, and I’m super excited! I’ll definitely be writing a blog about it! Like I said before, thanks to this group, I am able to go places and do things that I wouldn’t normally be able to do. In fact, next month, Akira and I (Akira is one of the friends in the group) will drive all the way up to Saitama to see a metal festival called Loud Park! I’m also super stoked for that!! On a side note, Akira is the only Japanese guy I’ve met who loves heavy metal. He knows way more bands than I do! From the second he told me he knew my favorite band, I knew I wanted to be his friend haha! Not many people in the U.S. even know my favorite band! :P

Burrito time at El Zocalo Burrito!

The HUB.

The HUB.

Izakaya.

Club JAWS.

Balabushka.

What I’m trying to say is that I am really grateful and happy to have found such awesome people who are willing to hang out with me! I feel so happy, and I enjoy every week! Sometimes I think about the future and leaving Japan and how sad it’ll be to say goodbye to them, but I just remind myself to not think negatively and enjoy my time with them now. No matter where I am in the world, there will always be people somewhere that I miss, but it also means that when I visit the place again, they will be there waiting. JET has given me the opportunity to meet people from all over! I’ve met people from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, Germany, England, Bulgaria, Scotland, Ireland, Moldova, South Africa, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Italy, Peru, Taiwan, and of course Japan (I’m sure I’m missing other places, too.). Even meeting people who live in various parts of the United States has been interesting.  One day I’d like to make the whole world feel like home, and I think I’m well on my way.

I'll leave you with this video of Yuki filming me stuffing

a huge eggplant sushi in my mouth.