Making lemonade out of lemons isn't as easy as you think sometimes...

So about two years ago while I was lying around my apt. in Tokyo, Japan, I decided to change the course of my life. no more bad relationships, no more of not being able to control my career/life...had enough. was ready to move on and push that "reset button". So I started preparing...figuring out what I would need to do to make the transition to a "home country" which I pretty much knew nothing about. LOL...yeah, go figure. here i am...tall blond who looks as American as they come, but hasn't really spent much time in the U.S. I knew it would be a very challenging move for me...don't know many people in the U.S. Would have to try to figure out how I would be able to make a living....been in the media/entertainment industry for about 18 years in Tokyo, and was well-connected there but knew very few people in the U.S. Would have to learn how to DRIVE! (and yep, that was quite the adventure in itself!!!)

Anyway, there were giong to be many obstacles that I would have to overcome. and I knew this going into it. But I was ready to take on the various challenges that would be thrown my way.

Because I knew that this would be good for me. So I was ready to "absorb the process" of starting over...starting pretty much from zero.

NOW...fast forward to two years later, and here I am in the U.S.

STILL going through culture shock moments on a weekly basis....

STILL trying to figure out what I am going to do work-wise...and where I am going to live.

and STILL frustrated with my situation. LOL...

Funny. I thought that within a year of moving back to the U.S. I would be totally acclamated into the American way of life.

Guess things don't always go as planned.

Now don't get me wrong...i am not bitter and I hope I don't sound like I am ungrateful...

because honestly, I know that I am very blessed.

But I DO get frustrated with how slowly the "reset" process is taking.

I guess it wasn't exactly good timing on my part that the year I came back to the U.S., the country experienced a HUGE financial meltdown. oops...

It was also a great year to come back....the year of presidential elections. I had never really had the opportunity to witness the whole campaigning on the road, debates between candidates, etc.

Sure you can get the news via internet/television in Tokyo, but since I grew up in Japan and continued to live in Japan pretty much my whole life, I felt this huge disconnect to things in the U.S. So I didn't follow the elections that much. I knew all the candidates,etc. but it wasn't a topic of everyday conversation for me.

So I really enjoyed being able to witness the debates live on television for the first time. Being able to go out to dinner with friends and talk about what was going on with the various candidates/issues.

It has been a year of ups and downs...probably quite a few more downs than I was expecting...but I try to remain positive and keep my eye on the jar of lemonade at the end of the tunnel. But yeah, sometimes making lemonade out of lemons isn't as easy as you think...

more memoirs to come from the 6ft blond geisha!:)