An Apartment of my own!

This is something I wrote while sitting at my desk at work, after I finished my planning for the whole week.

The weather has finally been getting warmer. Today is a sunny day and I only wore a light jacket over my outfit. I probably did not even need the jacket. I do not know if this weather will hold, but for every day that it is warm, I do not want to be spending that time inside. As a working person, I must stay inside. Then when work is done, I get to ride my bike back to home. Then I can go to a park or take a long bike ride to some unknown neighborhood near me. One day, I went to a park that we call “Lily Park”, where the tulips have been in season for a few weeks. I took a book, sat at a bench and read to my heart`s content. Pleasant weather, a book to read, birds singing, and an afternoon to spare is a beautiful and peaceful experience. I intend to repeat that, time and again while the temperature stays warm.

I mentioned that the tulips have been in season for a few weeks. They have reached their peak, and some tulips have lost their petals. I love spring and seeing a bunch of flowers blooming. I am slightly saddened when I see them go away again. I know that is the life of a flower. My parents wanted to make sure that we saw the tulips in full bloom at this one particular park “Lily Park”. Mom thought it would be a good idea to go early in the morning before I went to work. (We couldn’t wait till the weekend, because every weekend so far has been cloudy and rainy; while the weekdays are nice and sunny). So we had to seize the day and see the tulips in peak, even though I had work in an hour. We made the decision to go in two minutes, and after 5 minutes we were dressed, a breakfast had been quickly put together for me to eat on the way, and we were ready to go. My dad found a quick way to get to the park, trying to beat the rush hour. We got to the park, found the field of tulips of so many varieties of colors. It was amazing. It is nice to be at a park early in the morning. Everything feels new and fresh. It wakes me up. We spent like 10 or 15 minutes looking at the different tulips, and then we walked back to the car and were attempting to beat the traffic to get myself to school. We drove home, I got my bike and actually had 5 minutes to spare before I had to cycle my way to school. That was a fun morning and I am thinking that I need to wake up, get ready really fast and enjoy being at a park, before I start the days work.

For the last few months I have lived with my parents. I have really enjoyed being with them and being able to say good morning and good night. But I also have been looking forward to having my own place. For various reasons, one being that my parents are not going to be in Japan next year, and I would really like to know how to live in Japan on my own, before they leave. I think the transition would be easier then waiting till they left and start living on my own in Japan cold turkey. I found an apartment! We had gone to an apartment of some lady that was moving out and she was selling/giving away some stuff. So we went to the apartment to see what we could get for my future apartment that we were not searching for at that moment. We went to the apartment, and while driving around the area, both my mom and I really liked it. Nice neighborhood, full of gardens. There were nice parks around the apartment, and a nice bike/walk/run path I could go on. So when we saw the apartment, and heard how much it cost to rent, etc. I really wanted to pursue the possibility of getting the apartment. The apartment is not brand new, but it is cozy, and the kitchen size was manageable. But it is considerably small, but not as small as other kitchens in other apartments. There are two 6 mat rooms. This means two very small rooms. If I put a couch in one room, it would take up half the room. But the place is manageable and I can have guests over. I did not want a place that I could not have guests over. I am a people person, and love to be surrounded by others. Given I have some time by myself, of course. This apartment makes it possible to have friends over. Not a lot of friends but enough to play games and eat dinner. The location of the apartment is about a 20 minute bike ride to my parents place. That is not so bad. Only when it starts to snow will it be harder to get around. The place is near a bus stop and about a 10 minute bike ride to a train station. Which will be great until it snows. And then I shall manage with taking more time to get places. It`s also just a 12 minute bikes ride to school. This will really be the first time that I am renting an apartment without having any roommates. I am excited to have my own place, decorate it, and be on my own time schedule. I am also nervous, as I typically do not like being alone (all the time) and if I cannot control my anxious thoughts then the anxiety can take over. But overall, I am excited and cannot wait to move in. Beginning of July is when I get to move in to my apartment. It`s on the third floor, so I have a nice view of the mountains, and the sunlight is always shining through one of my windows. A new part of this chapter of my life…really living on my own….Let`s see if I can manage!

I want to get plants for my apartment. I have two right now in my room. I find plants exciting because you see them grow. Not instantaneously but throughout the days, you see new buds coming in or new leaves coming in. Plants are a lot easier to take care of then pets. Provides more oxygen to your place and it provides your apartment with natural colors. I am excited to see how I am going to decorate my apartment. Hopefully it will not be a crowded mess.