Akemashite Omedeto Gozaimasu! (Happy New Year)

Well, out with 07 and in with 08. Every year seems to get shorter and shorter, and it seems like barely 12 months ago that we began 2007.

We had a relatively quiet evening last night, spending time with our friends Ginny and David, and Mark and Margie. We went to our favorite Indian Restaurant, T-Side, and then back to Mark and Margie's place for a few hours. We played Cranium, and were having such a fun time, that we almost missed the New Year. We caught it just in time, toasted with Champagne, and went up on the roof to listen to the New Year's bells at the different Buddhist temples nearby. We finally got home at about 4 AM.

2007 was a mixed year for us. We had a variety of good and not so good things happen to us, but overall, 2007 worked.

Going into 2008, the pace will pick up. David will be going on business trips totalling about a month away between January and February, here in Japan, and to Korea and the US. Once he's back, it will be pretty much non stop getting ready to go back to the USA in late March/early April. While our families are understandably excited for us to be back home, and not have a 15 hour time zone difference to contend with, we're torn. We've loved living overseas, and Japan in particular has been the experience of a lifetime. We'll actually be quite sad to leave.

But, leave we must, and it's just part of the nomadic lifestyle we've chosen. We'll head to Texas next, and it will be good to be closer to Melody's folks, and a Southwest flight away from David's. We'll finally get to see our stuff that got stashed away in storage over four years ago, and will be able to enjoy our wedding gifts (finally). I fear we'll have a lot to cull and get rid of, but that too will be a good and cathartic experience. We hope to find a nice home to buy, and over the next few years, decide what we want to be when we grow up. Potentially, we could retire after our next tour. Not sure what we'll do, but we'll make some general plans, adjust them as necessary, and tackle it as it comes.

Here's hoping that 2008 is a blessed year for you all.