My five favourite monthly moments - January

 I work until New Year's Day but then I'm completely off. Barely check emails. We travelled to Japan, and then return to summer and the Festival of Sydney. So it's lazy days and theatre and art.

Plus good food and friends.

I will be writing more on some of these so I'll try to keep it brief.

1. Squid Games - I had so much fun. It felt so good, the invigorating affect of play. Bonding with friends, nervously laughing, visual and emotional stimulation. I loved it all. I'm dragging the kids to do it with me for my birthday. Just need to find a time that works for everyone.

2. Hiroshima. I've not stopped thinking about two things. Firstly, that we learn history as static events, that the bomb dropped and the war ended. But it didn't end. The deaths dragged out for decades with terrible illnesses as a result. The mental disorders and way of thinking changed for many if not all the survivors. While I understand what lead to the events, and I'm not saying the Japanese were innocent victims but I do question how you come back from that event? How do they not hate Americans? I am in awe that they turned the ill feeling into a positive fight for peace?  (Note I'm not saying they should hate Americans but it would be understandable if they did. If a nation killed all your family and friends, would you forgive them?)

As a place to visit, it's a very sobering city, but Miyajima is pretty and charming and absolutely one of the highlights of Japan. 

3. The theme parks with the kids. I drew the short straw (but also the long straw to get special time with my youngest so Schrodinger's straw, I guess) and we hit two theme parks and the Nintendo Museum in Japan. It meant we played together, laughed excitedly together and bonded in ways that get harder to make happen, as they grow up with their own lives. We gave our youngest another 'family' holiday - time with her older sibling. It's harder to make that happen but gives me great joy when it does. See point 1.

4. Hakone Open Air Museum - I've wanted to visit it for so long, since seeing a friend's travel photo on facebook maybe a decade ago. It did not disappoint. The art is beautiful but the location and setting is also part of it. We had a think snowflakes falling but they didn't stick to us. So the beauty and excitement of snow without getting wet. Even the kids enjoyed it so again, another lovely day shared.

5. Seoul. We only had time to sleep and a few hours to explore but it is so rare to go somewhere new these day. A completely different culture and language you can't read, our roaming didn't work so we were back to maps and finding coffee shops with wifi to call ubers. We didn't really know the food so it was random picking (and all fabulous). Some of it was brilliant, some of it a disaster but that's also a good reminder of real travel (like the old days - and the disasters were our fault or traffic related).

So a strange mix this month but good lessons and reminders, lots to think about but also a very rewarding month emotionally.

How was yours?

My Insta has been in overdrive but it should settle down a bit now as I get back to work and routine.