Life's a Beach

Mori
Itsukishima
Hiroshima Prefecture
January 2

To Ojiisan, Obaasan, and Chihiro-basan:

So this is how your Midori got to spend the new year -- at a beach! Chris-neesan has been laboring to keep me out of the doldrums ever since I found out that Eowyn-san wasn't coming. So she took me to the beach to lift my spirits, and it certainly worked wonders! We had to leave Tonic behind, though, since it was quite difficult to bring a cat with us.

When we got there, we were welcomed by Chris-neesan's friends, Jamie-neesan and Gino-niisan, who were on their honeymoon. I'm glad that they didn't seem to mind we were there.

Chris-neesan and I took a walk by the beach, where she insisted on snapping a few photos of me by some rocks. I am a bit embarrassed to be sharing them with you because I seem to be overly preening here. Not at all becoming of a young lady. But Chris-neesan assures me that the shots are tasteful and flattering, so I suppose that's fine. I was a bit afraid of falling into the water Chris-neesan and her friends made sure that no harm came to me.

Later in the day, we took it easy and spent a few minutes just relaxing under the shade first. I even fell asleep on a cozy hammock. It was so perfect! You'd love this place, Chihiro-basan; it just takes all your stress away.

I took home a little souvenir with me, a tiny shell that Gino-niisan found by the shore. I think it is a Nassa verrucosa or a Strombus variabilis. I hope you're not too disappointed with me, Ojiisan, for forgetting my sea lore. I promise to study up on them when I find the time between classes and my part-time job.

I wasn't eager to leave this paradise of a beach just yet, but all good things must come to an end. But I know that this is only the beginning of a new year -- I'm sure to see more surprises come my way. Life is interesting! So I do hope you're enjoying your new year as much as I am and that we'll see each other soon.

Your Midori