Reasons why is sucks
1. Accommodations
When you have company staying with you you have to accommodate to them. For instance when people visit us they don't have cars. So we have to drive them everywhere. Living on a military base we have to make sure they have special passes to get around. We also have to be with them at all times.
We have different eating habit and so grocery shopping is an accommodation as well.
All of our guests have slept on the couch but if we ever have any more then one at a time we may have to purchase a blow up mattress.
2. Entertainment
When people visit us it's probably a lot different then when other people get visitors. Living in Japan people normally want to see a bit of the country. Of course this didn't sound so bad but after our second visitor I can't imagine taking more people to these same places again. It's new to them but it'll be my 4th-5th time to the same place. It also sucks because I have a lot of days where I do nothing but binge TV and I can't because I need to entertain our guest. I've DONE the binge-rest-day thing and I just feel bad for making someone watch my show with such boredom and ask questions because I'm on season six and they haven't even seen season one. Lol.
3. Money
Spending money! When people visit we spend soo much more money in take out. When we're out all day we end up buying both lunch AND dinner. And then you have to pay for transportation everywhere. If it's not gas it's the train and if we take the car its parking. By train, my husband and myself, there and back is an average of $40 vs the $25-30 when driving. But driving can take longer. It all depends on the day and place. Then you also have other spending like if you go to any museums, parks, or movies. It all adds up and you still got your bills.
4. Personal Space
I didn't even know I was territorial until people started to visit my home. Like, "Why are they in my spot? That's my spot." Of course with my personality I'd NEVER tell them. Or I wanna watch what I want to watch on TV. Let me binge my Gilmore Girls. And those are those types of things. I hate how I can't walk around half naked or without a bra. It feels so strange. I feel like the PDA and perverted talk needs to be put on hold between my husband and I.
Reasons why its Great
1. It's New
It's awesome to have people visit us because it adds something new to our every day lives. Normally this wouldn't be the case because most people still live close to home when they move out. Typically family and friends have already been incorporated into our daily lives. That's not the case here. The people who visit us don't see us everyday and having them in our home is new and exciting. Having them in Japan is new and exciting. My husband and I are always excited to show off our lives and where we live.
2. Showing Off
Speaking of showing off. It's not just showing off JAPAN and that we live in JAPAN. Its showing off the house and our daily routine. It's showing off that we have it all together. That we're happy. That may sound strange but being married, having a baby, and moving to Japan at such a young age a lot of friends and family didn't see the positive in it. With that said I LOVE to show off what we have. I like people seeing how I've decorated the house. And going to the places we always go to and SHARING with them that.
3. Having Company
Though there are times that having company can feel like a lot of work and stress on our daily lives; it is really nice. It's nice to have someone else around. To eat dinners together. To ride the train together. To have that extra body and opinion. It's nice to watch how my daughter interacts and expresses herself around them. I love feeling like a host and planning the day/week. It's nice to have that extra person around sometimes. If you're like me having the extra person around gives you different perspectives on things that you never thought of. And that's something to always be grateful for.