Wins, challenges, and a new journey

It's been three weeks since we came back to Canada. Wow, time flies. I must say that I'm very happy to be back on my routine. Meeting some friends and talking about my trip to Japan gives me a new perspective as well.

Here I'm going to go through my wins and challenges of my 35 days in Japan.


WINS

• We had a blast. I took my kids out to more places than ever. They got spoiled by their grandmother and aunt. Some of the highlights were Tokyo Sky Tree, Tokyo Disneyland, Oedo Onsen, and a trip to Nagano. We had a great time catching up with some of our old friends. Good times.
• My youngest learned a bit of Japanese.
• I went to see my dad a lot, and was able to reconnect with him. I probably chatted with him more than my 38 years with him put all together. It was great to get to know him. It made me realize the importance of communication. Having conversation with others is vital in our lives. Why would we learn how to speak a language and communicate with others if we didn't have to use it?
• I had my dad move a little bit. It was all passive on his end, and I did most of the work, but both he and I saw a tiny bit of improvement and that was a huge win.
• I moved things along a little bit in terms of where and how to care my dad. Keeping him in the hospital where he is now was never my option, and I'm happy that we will be moving him to a new place where he has a chance to be more active.
• I got a little bit of load off of my mom's shoulders once we decided to move my dad to a different place. Just the prospect of her not having to attend my dad 24/7 was a great relief.
• I had a chance to talk to my mom and sister about what they think about the situation and what their positions are. This will give me a better idea on what needs to be taken into account when we talk about the next step. Especially, it was great to see how my sister is taking on this whole thing.
• I got to visit 2 CrossFit gyms in Tokyo and made great friends there. I love the feeling of the community wherever I go. Each box has its own unique characters but you are part of the big family no matter where you are from. CrossFit rocks.
• I'm even more strongly convinced that Life By Design IS the answer to the optimal health and living. Whenever I ate off track, I felt sick. Whenever I felt less focused, I was able to spot why. I felt awesome every time I went training. Making choices was rather easy even though I was challenged with some big issues in the family. 
• We got our spine checked by Dr. Sachio once. Once is better than none.

CHALLENGES

• My oldest wanted to spend more time with his friends. In the last coupe of years I sent the two boys to the local elementary school for a few weeks, but this year I didn't. Maybe next year I will consider signing them up for school again.
• I was unable to stay on track in terms of Eating. I failed to plan.
• I was unable to involve my family in Living By Design. I did not pick up many opportunities to even talk about it.
• I could not see my dad stand on his both feet while I was there.
• I did not record my video blogs as often as I wanted.
• I wanted to reach out to some other chiropractors in Tokyo, but I didn't.

Now I have a clearer vision as to bringing Life By Design to Japan. I'm looking forward to spending each and every day toward my vision and purpose.

In the meantime, I will keep in touch with my family and stay connected.

This wraps up my 30 Day Challenge this summer. For those who checked my blog regularly and sent me encouragement, I really appreciate your support. Thank you very much.