Looking back at 2011

One image from 2011. The superhero who didn't save
Japan from the March disasters.

In the fading hours of 2011, it is only fitting that I think back to this time last year and the things I anticipated doing during the year. Before I go back and look, I'm going to see what I remember.

From memory we/I'd planned to

• go camping – yes, did that three times and it went brilliantly.
• have visitors from Australia – yep, they came. It was a frantic time that I found more stressful than I thought I would, but overall it went well. I learnt a lot about myself and our family.
• continue editing Japan Harvest. Yes, did that, but much more than I thought. Especially with the Disaster edition in May. Taking on almost total responsibility for that edition from scratch was very challenging and twelve months ago I couldn't have believed I would do that in 2011.

Um, I cannot remember much else, so here goes to check it out.


Here's the list I posted on January 1st this year:

• After a good start with developing a new Occupational Therapy service here, I'm hoping to get more established and contribute more to CAJ in this area. This has been slower than I anticipated. Changes are needed internally, but I cannot easily change that from where I stand.
• Getting more into the editorial side of the magazine Japan Harvest, including regular meetings with the editor. Yep, actually it even looks like I could be moving into a greater level of responsibility with the magazine in 2012 (yet to be confirmed).
•  Continuing my freelance writing, I'm hoping to have something else published for which I'll be paid. Yes, one more paid article, but it hasn't come out until Jan 2012. More unpaid articles published, though.
• I'd like to play the piano at home more, but there are so many other things to do. I even have a standing invitation to play a friend's baby grand that I am yet to take up. I have done this a little in the latter half of the year. Still working up to play that baby grand.
• Friends, with their two children, from Australia are planning to visit for two weeks mid-year. We're all looking forward to this. As mentioned above.
• The pastor and his wife who married us are in Japan for a year and we're hoping to get together with them soon. Nope, didn't managed to get together with them. I'd like to blame the March disaster, but I'm not sure that would be fair. Their schedule and ours didn't match very well.
• We're hoping my parents will visit this year. It would be great to have them for Christmas, but we'll have to wait and see. Nope, this didn't happen.
• We're thinking about getting an seasonal pass to a local amusement/water park - particularly for the long, hot Tokyo summer that is coming our way. Yes, did this and have enjoyed it very much.
• Striking out on a new level of adventure, we'd like to get some camping action (tents) happening. Yes, and it was great!
• Two women's retreats plus our annual regional mission conference. One women's retreat and one regional conference. Both were great. The first happened only days before the March disasters and therefore was wonderfully timed.
• And maybe more, only God knows! Oh yeah. God knew.

The "more" included a massive earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster just over 100km from us. This brought the unexpected decisions of whether or not to evacuate from Tokyo or even Japan. Dealing with a serious lack of goods in shops, a lack of railway services, and a shortage of car, heater fuel, and the threat of rotating power blackouts (which didn't end up happening in our corner of Tokyo).

It also included watching natural disasters in our home state in January. Flooding of huge proportions, a flash flood in my inland hometown, a cyclone further north. This was much more emotionally difficult that I could have anticipated.

January took a bit of recovering from emotionally, actually, with the natural disasters and other personal events that I don't wish to dwell on here. Here's one post from January that I'd forgotten, but want to remember. Amidst the busy-ness of 2011, I've had an underlying emotional pain, the pain of feeling like a failure in one particular relationship, of being accused and disliked, of feeling incredibly frustrated. And being unable to change the situation. The only thing I can do is change how I think about the situation and not forget that I am loved by the One who will never turn His back on me.

On a lighter note, January also held my first ever solo crossing of Tokyo! In fact 2011 was a watershed year for me personally getting around Tokyo on public transport. In October I  caught public transport back from south of Mt Fuji — all by myself. Amazing. The editorial staff  of Japan Harvest also held our first Writer's Retreat/Workshop. It went well and our next one is planned for April.

Well, that is enough for one year, I'd reckon. I wonder if 2012 will be less eventful? I hope so. Tomorrow I'll write a list here of what I think might happen for us in 2012. Bury it for 12 months on the internet and dig it our again this time next year. I have at least one friend who admits to not being very reflective or introspective. I guess that is something I could be accused of, actually I quite enjoy it.