Every year the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation picks a “kanji of the year.” I’m still learning my basic hiragana alphabet, but I should at least try to remember this year’s kanji. It’s ? – “hen” – meaning “change.” While there are many global reasons why this is a relevant choice – Barack Obama being one of them even in Japan – it’s pretty relevant personally.

The biggest change first: I got married. I had been dating Bronwyn for four years and living with her for much of that time, and while marriage didn’t necessarily change our day-to-day living dynanmic, there is something quite charming and comforting to know that I have a “wife” and that I am her “husband.” We’ve passed our six-month anniversary mark and still the words seem strange and delightful as they roll off the tongue: “This is my wife, Bronwyn.” It’s even strange to write that. It has at least been a bit easier to assume the roles of Jon and Bronwyn, husband and wife, while introducing ourselves to folks in Japan. We don’t have as much of a history with friends here. They didn’t know us as single entities – the pre-Jonwyn days if you will.

This brings us to the second biggest change – moving to Japan. No real surprises in this list, eh? If there’s anything that marked the marriage as a change, it’s moving across the globe and literally starting a new life together. Japan has certainly had its ups and downs and I can’t say I won’t be happy whenever it is we decide to return to L.A., but I’m very fortunate to have made good friends with folks here and to have had so many wonderful experiences.

Speaking of experiences, travel was huge this year. There were weekend trips like Santa Barbara wine country in February, and Vegas for my Bachelor’s party in May. Then there were epic adventures like Greece for our Honeymoon, and Korea and the Philippines. My passport is certainly looking spiffier thanks to 2008. There are also all the places we’ve been to around Japan, like Misasa, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Tokyo, and all the places I’ve seen in-between via bicycle.

Bronwyn calls my 2008 the year of the bicycle and I can’t say she’s wrong there. It was the year I tried randonneuring and touring for the first time. I did a 200km and 300km brevet, totally shattering my previous ideas of what I was capable of physically. I wanted to finish the series with the 400km and 600km rides, but the wedding kept me busy. My bike tours in Japan have been a great way for me to not only get to know the country, but also foster some independence, especially since I had defaulted to letting Bronwyn take the reins of Japanese life since she’s the one who speaks the language. I also can’t forget to mention that 2008 was the year I got my dream bicycle – my Rivendell Rambouillet Starbuck – on which I’ve been able to have my touring adventures.

I’ve given up making resolutions for the New Year as I’m pretty bad at following through on them. Honestly, I doubt any year is going to top 2008 for me for a long while. It’ll probably take something on the magnitude of a birth of a child to top the events of this year, and that’s not something we’re planning on doing for yeeeeaaarrrssss now. So let’s just say I’ll be content to take my adventures as they come and seek them out where there are none. Here’s to a great 2009!

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