Some days are good... Some days are BAD

Yesterday, after spending most of the day being the most depressed I have been in Japan yet and hating even more about this country than I did last Saturday, I went to bed really early in the mood to do nothing but curl up into a ball and die.  However, I woke up bright and early this morning with a different attitude.  I think that being busy, feeling purposeful, and being with people around whom you feel compelled to smile always help cheer anyone up, even if they don't want it to.

This morning I got up at 7am, cooked my meals for the day, got cleaned up, and met Lance at the station at 8:40.  We headed by train to Torisawa station (a few minutes from Otsuki) to meet Kelly.  The three of us then hiked up a mountain called Kuratake and back down the other side.  The hike was beautiful with many different landscapes along the way, from bamboo and streams to cedar forests high on the side of the mountain.  We stopped at the top, from which we could see a cloudy Mt Fuji, for a picnic lunch and a bit of a break before heading back down to Yanagawa station.  The hike took us about 4 1/2 hours in total and the weather was clear if not always sunny, despite the weather forecast calling for a 60% chance of snow!

If tomorrow is a bad day, this week will have just about broken even...

We took the train home again where I had just enough time to clean up a bit, change, and get a snack, before I headed to the 7/11 to meet up with Michiko who was giving me a ride to church.  The church service tonight was held at the pastor's house and it was a really fun time.  I stayed after until almost 11pm talking and eating pretzels.

Needless to say, today was one of the good days.  I am fully aware that not everyday will be excellent and I have certainly been no stranger to disappointment and my share of downs since I have been here.  But, I think that as long as I continue to have more good days than bad I will be ok.

Tomorrow I am meeting a guy named Hiroshi at the Kofu City Library (about 2 blocks from my house) for a cultural exchange sort of thing.  I got his email off of a poster on the bulletin board at the International Centre.  Hopefully I will be able to get another new friend out of it.  I also have to clean, try out some new recipes, study!, and do my laundry (why am I the only one who got muddy on this hike?)  If tomorrow is a bad day, this week will have just about broken even and I'm not sure I will have the desire to stand much more of it... Here's hoping...