It has been quite some time since I wrote on here. Life has been unpredictable these last few years, with plenty of views from the mountains and some moments in the valleys. Covid clearly was a stressful few years, even as we came out of the chaos. My personal life had some tough moments that I would have never expected as well. These last few years have been filled with some of my biggest failures, best learning opportunities, and moments to grow and decide how I want my life to go.
Fortunately, travel has remained a consistent part of my life and my sanity for time with myself to reevaluate and make decisions. I have been to Japan a few times, all over the US, and recently moved to New Zealand. Each trip has offered me insight into my past, present, and future. Japan has been one of the most special places for me. I could write a love letter to Japan itself - the value the country places on beauty, dedication, kindness, and the principles like ikigai, wabi sabi, and kaizen. The delicious foods, cultural traditions, gracious people, and stunning places to visit in EVERY city make it hard to not fall in love with Japan. If you have not gone, I cannot encourage you enough to get your plane ticket now! And it is the safest country in the world to go to alone - so go!
Japan has another beloved aspect for me. My younger brother lives there and has for the past few years. In his time there, he has become fairly fluent in Japanese, dealt with some wild health issues, and met some amazing people. Japan has been good to him for medical care and placing some great people in his path. That being said, I envy Japan for having him. My brother made it in to the country literally days before the borders closed due to Covid. While it was a blessing, it also was the hardest goodbye of my life that was immediately followed up with the realization that I would not get to visit him anytime soon. We even had trips booked to see him that were refunded due to the "unprecedented" times. My heart was crushed as the unsettling reality that it would be a long time before I could see my brother again set in.
I know some people do not have the best relationships with their siblings, but for me my brother is my best friend in the whole world. One of the reasons I believe God must exist is that He created Trent as my brother. I was gifted a sibling who is truly one of my soulmates, someone who sees the best and worst of me and loves me through it all. And the blessing Trent is as both my sibling and friend is not lost on me. My brother is one of the most generous, honest, and forgiving people I have ever known. He has largely been my inspiration for growing as a person and doing my best in all areas of my life. I want him to be proud of the sister he has, to set a good example, and I want to be more like him in many ways.
Trent has always been naturally brilliant. Truly one of the most intelligent people I have ever known, and I do not say this lightly. I am convinced he could be a genius, if he was not so lazy in other ways haha. One of my father's favorite quotes from me came from a fight I was having with my brother. We were in a passionate disagreement and yelling rather loudly at each other. At one point I screamed, "Because you're smarter than me, stupid!" My dad began laughing so hard the argument dissipated. He found my complimentary insult rather entertaining. But this stupid youngin is truly smarter than me. He teaches himself new languages, instruments, sciences, and coding. He picks up things naturally and reads people so well. Trent inspires me to be a life-long learner and to challenge myself to continually find ways to improve myself. Japan is genuinely lucky to have someone like that over there right now.
My brother has largely been overlooked in life due to his quiet and humble nature. It takes people who are attentive, wise, and engaged to see the light he offers this world. But people like that are also the only ones who deserve a place in his life to be blunt. To have someone who can be so gentle and strong at the same time, who can deliver a hard truth with even more love, and who always makes time for you despite the thousands of miles between you is a gift only God could author. And I am even more lucky that I can call this gift my little brother. If you have not had the chance to go to Japan or to get to know Trent, I would definitely suggest both with the highest regard! Though the latter part of that suggestion can be rather difficult to get in touch with haha. I am beyond thankful for a little brother who always makes time for me, who understands me at a soul level, and who gives me a reason to constantly strive for improvement. You are my greatest inspiration in this life!
For the next bit, I am going to use this blog to reflect on the people who have touched my life deeply and helped shape me. Please know that there are a few hundred people I could easily write about, so do not feel bad if I do not write about you for some time! There is not enough time nor words to reflect on and thank all of the people who have helped me at some point in my life. But I will try to reflect on many of you here :) So naturally, my brother was the best one to start with! And my gratitude towards many of you is still to come. Thanks for following along!
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