I visited a temple last weekend with my partner because she wanted to buy a omamori charm for her friend.

The temple was so huge that it even had a spacious rest area inside, so we decided to take a rest and relax there.

There was exceptionally calm. The building was old, but we could tell it was well-maintained. Everywhere was so clean that it seemed impossible to find even a speck of dust. I even felt like the air itself was cleaner.

We felt as if our minds were being cleared. It was an interesting experience for us. After that, I started thinking about our own place and tried to clean more than usual.

If I keep this up every day, will our place also become a more calming space like the temple one day?

Notes

• charm ：良いものを呼び込むようなお守り。 amulet は、悪いものを遠ざける・魔除け。
• so… that ：とても～なので。
• spacious ：（家、部屋、空間が）広い。 large が客観的事実を指すのに対し、 spacious はポジティブさを強調する。 wide は、幅が広いことを指す。
• area ：区切られた場所や範囲。 space は、空いている状態がニュアンスに含まれることがある。空間。
• exceptionally ：非常に。ずば抜けて。
• well-maintained ：メンテナンスが行き届いている。
• speck ：小さな点。しみ。PC用語の speck （スペック）は、 specification の省略形。
• keep this up ：今の習慣を続ける。
• every day ：毎日。 everyday は、日常の。日々の。

Do you know the three most famous Wagyu brands in Japan?
To be honest, I wasn’t fully aware of them it.

However, I became interested after we had the opportunity to try one, so I looked them up. The “Big Three” are:

• Kobe beef: Raised in Hyogo prefecture.
• Matsusaka beef: Raised in Mie prefecture.
• Omi beef: Raised in Shiga prefecture.

Most of these are produced in central Japan.

My partner and I tried Omi beef just recently.
It was the first time in my life I’ve ever had such high-end Wagyu.

At first, I was a little disappointed because the meat was sliced so thin.
But after trying it, I understood why. It was so tender and incredibly rich. Even just one slice was satisfying!
By the time I finished, I was completely full. It was definitely delicious.

That experience is what sparked my interest.
I hope to try the other brands someday as well.

Notes

• I’m aware of… ：～に気づいている。
• become interested ：興味を持つ。
• look up… ：～を調べる。
• I’ve ever… ： I have ever 。これまで～した中で。
• by the time ：するときまでには。
• spark interest ：興味をかき立てる。
• as well ：（文末に加えて）～もまた。 too と同類。

My partner is still on a two-week business trip.
This time, she is staying in San Francisco, in the US.

There is a 17-hour time difference between San Francisco and Japan.
Since San Francisco is so far behind, it is still the previous day there.

We talk on the phone twice a day. Once before she goes to sleep and once after she wakes up.

When she goes to bed at 12 a.m. in San Francisco (PST), it is 5 p.m. here in Japan (JST).
After our evening call, I wait for her morning to come. When she wakes up at 7 a.m., it is 12 a.m. for me, right before I go to bed.

I cherish our calls every evening and again before I sleep.
It is a unique lifestyle, but I am enjoying this routine!

My partner left for a two-week business trip this morning.
We are always together, even at work, so it feels really unusual.

I suddenly have a lot of time alone, and I feel a little bored.
So I started cleaning our room, even though she had already cleaned it before she left, and I also took a long bath.

But I am still bored… I didn’t realize how boring it would be without her.

Then I started thinking about how I usually spend my time.
When I thought about it, I realized that I usually just relax and don’t use my time very well when I am with her.

I want to be better for her. I want to use my time more wisely, both when I am with her and when I am alone.

Life is short, so I am going to try.