After yesterday's post, I realized there was some serious "making me happy" that had happened recently which I forgot to mention.

I was selected to be a chaperone for the high school band trip to Japan!!!

The high school band takes a big trip every other summer. My daughter is a sophomore and in both concert band and jazz band. She's in Honors Concert Band and is thus "trip-eligible". When they announced the trip was Japan, I was probably more interested than she was. So we're both in. As is my wife, who was in right away because she's a doctor. It's a family trip to Japan!

When I was young, I lived in what I liked to think were Japanese neighborhoods between the age of 5 and 9 (two years near LA, two years near Miami). All my friends had Japanese surnames - Ikegami, Nishida, Tsujimura. It might not have really been Japanese neighborhoods, but that's my recollection. And I don't have any specific memories, but I trace my fondness for Japan and Japanese culture to those days.

I've been wanting to go to Japan for years and years but never had "excuse". Well, now I do! And I am so there. It will certainly be an awesome trip.

June 2016. Counting the months.