Alyssa's 3 Random Facts About Me

My favorite shrine in Tokyo.

How many places have you lived and where?

I have a pretty random assortment of cities on my list, now that I list them out!  I grew up in an industrial town in Ohio about 30 miles west of Cleveland.  Then I moved to Chicago for college, and spent about three months in Rome during a study abroad program.  After college, I packed my bags and headed to the West Coast to work for a major clothing retailer in San Francisco.  That’s where I met my husband (and Carla!).  He got a job with a company that has a branch in Tokyo, so we had the pleasure of coordinating a move to a different country halfway around the world while planning a wedding.  But now that all of that stress is over, Tokyo is a fascinating place where we experience something new almost every day.  In fact, you’ll probably get sick of hearing about it in my posts!

A strawberry display at a local supermarket.

What are three things that make you happy right now?

1. Strawberries.  They’re really expensive here, and they’re one of my favorite fruits.  I refuse to pay so much for them, so my husband has taken to surprising me with them once in a while.  They make me very, very happy!

2. Seasons.  It’s been a while since I lived in a climate with four distinct seasons.  Not only does Tokyo have dramatic seasonal weather shifts, but the people here celebrate the seasons very, very enthusiastically!  There are festivals, parades and decorations everywhere.

3. Visitors.  Moving so far away from your family and friends to a place where you don’t know ANYONE can make you really appreciate having visitors. I love and appreciate the whole process: from getting excited when someone buys a plane ticket, to preparing the house for visitors, to the looks on their faces when they see some of the crazy things that are part of life here!

Our last visitor, Joel, with the police department mascot (and my husband).

What is your favorite book?

The Count of Monte Cristo. If you haven’t read this as an adult, you should definitely give it a shot. It's really cheap on Amazon and you can find it in most used book stores, since it's a classic.  It’s a LONG book and it starts a little on the slow side, but please don't take a shortcut and read the abridged version.  Hang in there a little and it will be worth it, I promise!  I love stories that are heavy on character development, and this one is no exception.  But it also has a prison break, hidden treasure, illegitimate children, poison, revenge and redemption.  In fact, I’m going to re-read this book right now.