Luck Of The Irish? More Like The Japanese

           Mid March. It's that time where four leaved clovers are popping up all over and people are shoving luck of the Irish at you left and right. Well at the moment, I have another place they can shove that. Forgive me, the Irish are lovely, but their luck needs some work. I'm not exactly in the best mood at the moment. As most probably can relate to, Spring Break is coming up. For me, our well anticipated break is to start a week from today.
           As my sister's last year before graduating from high school and going off to college, we wanted to let her choose our destination for spring break. Naturally, she chose Japan, seeing as she's been enthralled with Japanese culture since before middle school. So we began to plan months ago. The plane tickets were booked. Hotels reserved. Plans for Tokyo Disneyland nailed down. We were beginning the countdown. I get in the car this morning on the way to school, and my sister turns to me and says "Wow, I hope Japan will still work out." At that moment, I knew we weren't going to Japan anymore, I just knew.
           She informed me that the most violent earthquake in Japanese recorded history hit 250 miles outside Tokyo several hours ago. Aftershocks were to be expected, and damage was massive. Throughout the day teachers brought up the thought of catastrophic tidal waves sweeping away buildings. I kept telling myself that in a week this would all blow over. Our vacation will be fine.
           Tokyo Airports: Closed.
           Tokyo Roads: Closed
           Tokyo Trains: Closed
           Tokyo Nuclear Power Plants: Leaking
           Aftershocks: To Be Expected For The Next Two Weeks
           fml
           Though of course every time I begin feeling sorry for myself, I think about the families who lost loved ones in this catastrophe, and I can't help thanking my lucky stars that I wasn't there when it actually happened. I'm not one of the hundreds of tourists in Japan just praying to go home. Then I think about how of all of the times for this enormous earthquake to occur, it happens the one time I have an opportunity to go there. I can't decide whether to consider myself unlucky for having my vacation ruined or lucky that my spring break wasn't a week earlier.
            My deep and utter respects to those who perished in this awful incident and their families.