It is the morning of Christmas Eve here in Japan and the bittersweet feelings of this particular Christmas season are setting in. This winter, I will be spending the holidays in Japan, with my husband’s family. It’s exciting as it will be our first Christmas as husband and wife, and I’ll get to experience Japan... Continue Reading →
Miss Ablanedo Morales to …. Mrs. Ablanedo Morales
This year, I became a married woman. Naturally, a lot of things have changed since then, but my last name has not been one of them. Although changing, or not changing, one’s name, is entirely a personal choice, I decided that not changing my last name was best for me. When Yuki and I married,... Continue Reading →
The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta
This past weekend, Yuki and I attended the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta for the second time. The Balloon Fiesta started in 1972 with 13 balloons but has now become the largest balloon event in the world. We had first attended the balloon fiesta together 2 years ago and absolutely loved it, so this year we... Continue Reading →
Dual Citizen
Living in the United States wasn’t always my family’s goal. My family and I first immigrated to the United States when I was 6 years old so that my father could study his Ph.D. at the University of Mississippi in the small, southern town of Oxford, Mississippi, but the goal was to return to live... Continue Reading →
Do You Speak Japanglish? The Charm of Interracial Relationships
The first date my boyfriend and I went on was to dinner, after which we drove up to my city’s scenic drive and watched the city lights in the comfort of his truck. I realized I was doing most of the talking, and he was sitting rather quietly, and looking tremendously pensive. Instead of being reasonable,... Continue Reading →
A Piece of Peru
Earlier this year, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Cusco, Peru. The following is a list of reflections that you might not have already heard about this fantastic city 1.DON’T mistake alpacas for llamas. I realized the importance of becoming educated on these animals after yelling and pointing ‘A llama!’ at an alpaca and... Continue Reading →
It’s a sister thing.
It is often that we are hardest on those we love most. We take their love for granted; we forget to apologize here and there; we say things we don’t mean; we forget to call back. It isn’t because we don’t care, but because their presence has become so familiar that we forget that they... Continue Reading →