Less than one week until Nihon

My sister made me this cake two years ago before I went to India for six weeks. I was feeling very afraid and unstable about leaving. I’m about to leave for Japan for much much longer than six weeks now and things are a bit different.

and I continue to stay up later than neccessary. I enjoy the quietness of my hometown house once everyone is finally asleep. I wonder if I’ll enjoy the quietness of my own apartment in the Japanese sticks.. It will be so so so quiet.
Today was my mom’s birthday. It started out a little shakey, but culminated into a nice family evening. I watched my sister eat and ENJOY a steak when we went out to dinner and that basically made my day. I baked a double layer chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting.
It’s all lined up for me. These last two months of no obligations (well, no mainstream societal obligations) have been fantastic. I feel so free right now, not because I can choose more freely what to do with my time, but because I don’t really have an ounce of ambition running through my blood. Give me some time to do yoga and some flour, sugar, eggs and butter and it will be the best day of my life.