Hi, my name is Katie and I'm...Homesick!

Ok, ok, I've been doing really well so far, I know.  But sometimes I get this overwhelming feeling of missing home.  I really miss my super cute dog, Norman, who is one of the great loves of my life....after Mike, of course. Here are some pictures that his dog-sitter and my future maid of honor have sent me of him...she claims he's going through a mid-life crisis, but I would say it's more like a quarter-life crisis:

Isn't he so cute, quarter life crisis and all???

I also miss my parents, my grandparents, and my friends.  Not to mention our house that is bigger than this hotel room, plus having a car, being able to drink quality beer, and speak English freely!

Additionally, I have to confess that it has been really hard for me to make friends here...I know, I know, cue the sad, slow, lonely violin music. But those of you who know me know that I have the gift of gab, perhaps more than any other person, and that I usually have no problem talking to new people and making friends, whether they like it or not! Turns out that when I don't speak their language, it doesn't work as well! Add to that the fact that everyone stares at me like a circus act because of my blonde hair, blue eyes, and, has Mike's Japanese co-workers have so eloquently put it, my "Bazoongas!".


Let me just say that it's all fine, I'm not on the verge of any kind of breakdown as far as I know, and I'm not asking for sympathy.  However, when I set out to write this blog, I wanted to put forward the honest truth of what it was like for us in Japan, and so here you have it: People stare.  A LOT.  And it's not always a nice stare, it's usually a "OH MY GOSH LOOK AT THAT FOREIGNER!" stare. 


Plus the other foreigners here are usually self-involved jerks who love the attention that they get for being foreigners. Example: Mike and I came across an English guy at a bar who was with 4 Japanese guys, and he was telling them how much "action" he gets for being a foreigner. Then he went so far as to tell them that if his wife wasn't pregnant, he would let them "have" her...


Can you believe that??? Such a completely disgusting pig of a man.  It was incredibly embarrassing for us to be the only other foreigners in that bar, and we left immediately after that to avoid any associations with such a disgusting, low-life person.  We haven't come across much better in other foreigners since then, except of course, Mike's co-worker, Kris, who is from Minnesota and lives here and works for ProtoLabs Japan, and is a really nice and honest guy.


So that's the truth. I'm getting a little jaded with the whole scene here.  Going out every day becomes an event and I'm ready to be back in America where no one cares how I look!  The good news?  My parents come in two days.  I can't wait to see them!  The other good news is that our wedding invites go out today, thanks to my amazing mother.  I can't wait to come home and work on our wedding plans!!!


Also, I want to say that I love you all for reading, and we are at over 1,000 blog views right now, which is fantastic.  And, keep looking for more adventures, as I'm not one to mope around too much.  However I encourage you to contact me as much as possible in the meantime :-)