The haul from the US

I'm back.  I am bleary-eyed and more than a little exhausted.  But my family has safely returned to Japan. 

Once again, a friend came to pick us up from the airport.  It makes the very tail end of our trip so much easier than taking the train.  Actually, the train is not the hard part.  It is the 10 minute walk from the train station to our house with all our luggage!

My husband always gives me a hard time about all the treasures I bring back from the US.  Of course he doesn't complain when he gets to enjoy the fruits of the imports. 

One of the top places my son wanted to visit while we were in the US was Trader Joes.  I often pine for TJ's while I'm in Tokyo.  It is very fashionable to carry around Trader Joe's tote bags, but there aren't any stores in this country!  Each time I see one of these bags, it is a reminder of all the snacks and groceries that I often buy there that are unreachable in Japan.  I made sure to pick up tons of nuts (which are very expensive in Japan), kale chips, and a couple "weird" treats like chocolate covered popcorn .  Other snacks came from Costco that I did not see when I went to Costco in Japan.  While I can get fruit bars here, they are not organic and often have a long list of ingredients.  So, I love to buy them in the states where I have more control over what I'm purchasing.  I also make sure to buy lots of my favorite chocolate in various forms - Theo!  My absolute favorite is their dark chocolate peanut butter cups.  They are divine!

Although I bring back a lot, I don't ONLY bring back snacks!  I also bring back kitchen staples.  I cannot find organic chicken or beef bullion, so I import a jar of each.  Although you are not allowed to bring meat products into the country, these have never been taken from me.  I cross my fingers every time, knowing the risk of confiscation.  This trip I purchased two sausage spice mixes since I cannot buy breakfast sausages or Italian sausages.  However, I can buy ground pork and chicken to make my own!  I have imported homemade canned goods several times and I've never had an issue with that either.  I love being gifted homemade things and being able to bring it back with me is so nice.  I'll probably eat this apple date butter my best friend made with Snoqualmie Falls Lodge pancakes when I'm missing home.  I grabbed a jar of green enchilada sauce, just in case my tomatillo plants don't produce anything.  It won't be the same as my green enchiladas, but it will work in a pinch.

I often bring back either beloved products or things that I have not seen in Japan.  This trip included a bentgo box (a bento box that doesn't leak); beeswax food wraps that I've been wanting to try; My favorite bag closures Gripstics; dry shampoo that I've never seen in Japan; a movie my husband wanted; and travel packs of my favorite tissues.  I also get clothes and shoes because I have a hard time finding my size in Japan.  It isn't impossible, but it tends to be difficult to find and more expensive than I want to pay.  For example, I wear a size 25 shoe (8 in US) and that is a half  size bigger than most stores carry.  I can find my size in department stores, but it is so expensive.

Last but not least, I always bring back a stack of books.  I've been wanting to study reiki (energy healing), and found several resources in English.  My son of course brought back a whole stack, plus a few not pictured!  And I was able to pick up an advance copy of one of my favorite singer-songwriter's newest album.  It actually won't be released until next year, so I feel extra privileged to have a copy.  (I donate to her crowd-funding campaign to make the album in order to get the advanced copy.  I can't wait for it to be released!)

It is now 7 pm.  My husband and son have already headed to bed.  Although exhausted, I am trying to stay up for at least 1 more hour.  Time changes are so hard!  But the trip home to see as many of my loved ones as I can, is one hundred and ten percent worth it.