I have this frenemy who disdains all things suburban and refers to Olive Garden as “one of those suburban restaurants.” Now I love me some Tokyo and all, but when I visit home in Katy, Texas 
and see neighborhood after neighborhood of glistening, glowing greenery beaming in the sunlight, I have to point out that people move to the suburbs because it’s NICE!! And Katy is the crowning glory of suburbia: my parents’ neighborhood is one mile from an outlet mall with the best sales in the world and a half mile from a field full of cows (above photo) and a horse roping training ranch. Tell me that’s not the best of everything. In 45 minutes you could drive east to the dead center of downtown Houston (4th largest city in the States, photo below) or north to Hempstead’s Liendo Plantation complete with wrap-around porch and crazy Civil War reenactments (right photo). I kind of forget what my original point was supposed to be, but maybe along the lines of not knowing comfort until you leave it…and come back to it…and leave it…and come back to it…a few times. 🙂 A common tale. 
and see neighborhood after neighborhood of glistening, glowing greenery beaming in the sunlight, I have to point out that people move to the suburbs because it’s NICE!! And Katy is the crowning glory of suburbia: my parents’ neighborhood is one mile from an outlet mall with the best sales in the world and a half mile from a field full of cows (above photo) and a horse roping training ranch. Tell me that’s not the best of everything. In 45 minutes you could drive east to the dead center of downtown Houston (4th largest city in the States, photo below) or north to Hempstead’s Liendo Plantation complete with wrap-around porch and crazy Civil War reenactments (right photo). I kind of forget what my original point was supposed to be, but maybe along the lines of not knowing comfort until you leave it…and come back to it…and leave it…and come back to it…a few times. 🙂 A common tale. 
First Day of Spring!
Under the Cherry Trees
Chinatown Farewell
Baht to Japan
Ah, home sweet Texas home!
Y’know, I feel a little like our frenemy when it comes to suburbs … but I’m coming from the opposite direction. I totally admire that you love Tokyo. I think I would have a nervous breakdown in like 3 days. 🙂
And yeah, Katy it a pretty neat little place. I always feel a little disheartened when I make the drive out to see either of my parents, both in Old Katy, and there’s just row after row after row of cookie-cutter houses. The look close enough that you could lean out your window and spit on your neighbor’s window. I’m just a country-living, space-loving kind of gal, I guess. 🙂
But I’ll confess, I do miss the outlet mall quite a bit.
~Brea