I work at a health insurance company that’s big on well-being and self-care. These things are important, but most days it doesn't feel like there’s enough time in the day to do my regular job, much less treat myself Donna and Tommy style! BUT this month the company started providing chair and table massages twice a week. There’s a charge but it’s much cheaper than going to a spa or regular masseuse. 

Since it’s Valentine’s Day, I decided to sign up for a 15-minute chair massage. A few months ago, I was telling my husband that I liked massages in theory, but they never concentrate on my problem spot, my left shoulder. I also hate it when they massage my arms and legs it seems like a waste. I can reach those areas but I can’t get that knot out of my shoulder. My husband, the practical man that he is said, “Just get a chair massage.” Brilliant! But from where? And could I afford it? And then lo and behold, my place of work starts offering chair massages (and table massages, too!). If that isn’t a beautiful convergence of events, I don’t know what is.

​And boy, the chair massage amazing. I had a really nice (AND STRONG!) gal. She asked me what I wanted her to focus on and I told her my shoulders. So, she started with my right shoulder and found a baby knot I didn’t even know was there! Nice. And then she moved to my left shoulder and found the knot. She even said, “Whoa, here it is!” before she pounded, kneaded, and loosened up that knot. It was pure bliss. 

When she was done, I thanked her and practically floated out of the room. Now, I’m doing research on how many massages it’s okay to get a month because I’m determined to treat myself more often. I can’t resist the possibility of loose shoulders at an affordable price without having to leave the building. 
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It's stressful being pregnant. I'm constantly worried that something bad is going to happen. Every cramp, every little bit of blood can throw me into a full-blown panic attack. 

But then I think, all this negativity can't be good for my baby. So whenever I feel stressed out, I think about how wonderful it will be to hold my baby in my arms. I do my best to keep active and eat healthy foods. It's the least I can do for the little one growing inside of me.

I haven't had too many mood swings like they show in the movies. If anything, I'm just more weepy. Everything makes me cry omg. For instance, my coworker shared a story about how her new boyfriend has the same birthday as her husband who passed away. I couldn't stop crying. It was so sad yet beautiful and poetic. OMG! Since I rarely show sadness at work, my corker was shocked and worried for me. If she only knew.

I'm not sure when I want to tell the world that we're expecting. I of course want to share the joy, but I'm also so worried that something will happen and that I'll have to tell people bad news. . .oops, there I go again being negative. Or am I just being realistic? Well, whatever the case, I'm going to be positive an focus on delivering a healthy baby in 5 months. 

Around 20 9years ago, I traveled from Okinawa to Hokkaido for the annual Yuki Matsuri, or Snow Festival. With the freezing cold weather (I had requested to be placed in Hokkaido during my JET Program interview but ended up in the southernmost part of Japan), amazing food, and giant ice sculptures, my memories of Sapporo were magical.
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So I decided to book a trip to the Snow Festival for my husband and I to relive the magic. Now 20 years ago, the organizers of the trip had inside knowledge of how to make the airfare and hotel a little more affordable: go a week early. By then, the sculptures were complete and it wasn’t nearly as crowed as it would be during the festival. Sure, the festival activities and food stands wouldn’t be running, but the city had so much to do, it wouldn’t be a problem.

Fast forward two decades later. I planned our trip to take place the week before the actual festival happened. Smart, right? Nope! Thanks to decreased support from volunteers and global warming, the giant ice sculptures weren’t ready by the time we got to Hokkaido. Instead of marveling at a giant Hello Kitty ice sculpture onsen-ing in a ramen bowl, we just saw lot after empty log.
The good news is that there was lots to do and it wasn’t too crowded. As it was my husband’s first time in Sapporo, we still had a blast going to the Sapporo Beer Factory and Ishiya Chocolate Factor. We were able to eat unbelievable ramen that warmed our bellies in 25°F weather.
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On a side note, I was 3 months pregnant so I didn’t drink alcohol and I had pretty bad morning sickness. And I caught a cold towards the end of the trip, which was terrifying since COVID-19 was making its way throughout Asia. But overall, the trip was still so much fun and actually turned out to be a babymoon. Here are a few highlights of our trip!