Welcome Blogger 2013

To all mothers, and especially my own:
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
I love you dearly, and hope that it was a fabulous day.

-----------------------------

And I think that it is finally time to make my comeback!

Although it has almost been a year since I've seriously blogged, it has been on my mind for months. After Japan, I spent several months traveling to see family in the U.S., and then took a two-month hiatus to the beautiful countries of Perú and Chile in South America. With less time and access to the Internet than expected, I was hardly able to keep up with my past blogger self.

With several more transitions, first to Croton and then to Brooklyn, with new jobs on my plate - I'm back and ready for action! The move and hectic schedule of settling in has died down, and I am ready to start focusing on writing again... blogging about places, people, and things that cross my path in this journey called life.

Hopefully I will be able to keep up with my ambitious goal of rekindling my blog. If not, please forgive me and know that I had good intentions. Encouragement from readers is one easy way to stay on task, so keep up with me and nag me when I'm MIA!

So here we go! Let's hope that I actually have things to write about now.

First day "back on the job," and I took a short outing around Park Slope and Prospect Park, armored with glove and ball! Nothing better than a game of catch with a new mitt, followed by a walk around the park and quiet reading time with a book and coffee. I say that today was well spent.

NYC Subway Map. Yup.

Completely empty subway station?

Everyone else enjoying Mother's Day, too.

The famous NYC brownstones. 

Perhaps this is a Japanese Red Maple.

And who doesn't love a hot dog stand.

The new mitt. New ball too if you can believe it.

Kafka on the Shore - Murakami Haruki

Awesome color combo - and so in season.

Some plants in the window to keep away the bugs. Apparently, herbs like rosemary, thyme, basil and mint, help repel mosquitoes and flies.

~ L

Moving to Brooklyn!

As I did for when I moved to Japan, I decided to post pictures of my future apartment! After a month of searching, we've finally signed the papers for an apartment in Kensington, Brooklyn. The lease is for a year but hopefully it will be a good apartment and we'll end up staying longer.

The plan is to move in on March 1st and iron things out as we go. I've called the super and am picking up the keys tomorrow morning. That makes it feel even more official than signing the lease!

Some photos:

The hallway 

The elevators

Other direction

Entry hallway

Kitchen view 1

Kitchen view 2

Living room view 1

Out the front windows toward Ocean Pkwy

Living room view 2 

Through hallway from bedroom

Bathroom

Bedroom

And then some non-apartment related photos:

Union Square Market - Is this where the No Impact Man does his grocery shopping?

Horseback/trail riding in Prospect Park! 

Take 2

Before, this blog was dedicated mostly to my life in Japan. Seeing as how I no longer live in Japan but I don't want to stop posting on the blog (just as I'm about to have more time to do so) I think I'll now dedicate it to my new life in NYC. Hopefully I'll be able to post reviews, photos, excursions, things to do and see, and just write about what it's like.

I thank you for keeping up with me this far, and hope that there will be some fun things on here worth following in the weeks to come!

Wish me luck in my move...

-Lana