Blog Post 6 – Joy Yamagiwa
Week of November 15th
Thanksgiving
I have finally started counting down the days until Thanksgiving break. As of today, there are nine more days until my mom comes to pick me up from Northeastern. Just the thought of taking a hot shower at home and finally sleeping in my own bed gives me enough motivation to push through finals. Over the past few days, I have been working on a to-do list to make my break fun and productive.
The first order of business is visiting my acupuncturist in Amherst. His name is Jack, and after a session with him, my entire body loosens up, and my mind feels clear. If I’m being honest, his dreamy grey eyes and soothing voice help too. Anyways, I will also meet up with my two best friends twice over break. Once to have our annual Thanksgiving party with comfort foods, snacks, board games, and Disney movie marathons, and again to celebrate their birthdays since they are both right after Thanksgiving.
Gifts for Friends & Family
With my friends’ birthdays and Christmas coming up, I have to start thinking about getting gifts. One of my top love languages is gift-giving, so I always try to give people gifts that make them genuinely happy. For my friend’s birthdays, I will give them a necklace I bought in Japan, skincare/ beauty products, sweet treats, and something hand-made. Since they adored the Sailor Moon painting I made last year, I might make another anime-related artwork for them this year.
For Christmas, we each send our top 5 wants/needs to the group chat as options for what we can get each other. Getting gifts for my mother is a little more complicated because she only accepts gifts that she can use, eat, or enjoy as an experience. For example, jewelry would be a horrible option because she does not need more jewelry, and it will end up as clutter in her drawer. So, I think I’ll get her her favorite puff pastry from Atkins Farms, some flowers, kitchen supplies or tech that she needs, and a painting of our family.
Sister-bonding Time
My sister is the last person I need to get a big gift for since I only make small gifts for my casual friends. She usually complains about not having enough clothes, so I will probably get her some cute tops or a jacket. I also know she’s starting to get more creative with her makeup, so some colorful eyeshadow pallets or eyeliners could be nice too.
Even though my sister annoys me most of the time, she has supported me through traumatic events and mental health issues. I hope to show her my appreciation through thoughtful gifts. I also hope to spend some quality time with her during break and learn more about her life. My favorite things to do with her are creating forts to sleep in and watching trashy reality shows while painting. Overall, I am so excited for the break and to see my loved ones again. I wish you all to have a Happy Holidays!
