Day: July 5, 2019
Notes on Japan
I have found it a challenge to really be able to put what the trip to Japan meant to me in words simply because it was a lot. Overall, I can say that the most crucial part of my own personal journey was how much I learned. This was my first time overseas and I […]
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Video: Getting “Shiggy” with it
After my adventures in golf at the Mount Fuji golf range in Kiba City, I was hungry and felt like going on a picnic. I thought that finding any greenery in a congested city would be a somewhat difficult task, but after my quick run to the FamilyMart convenience store and a few directions from […]
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Ōkini, Kyoto!
Prior to this trip, I really did not learn a whole lot of the language. Truthfully, I learned barely enough Japanese to get by. American ignorance told me I wouldn’t really need it. As matter of fact, I did. Although not absolutely crucial, going to any country not knowing how to speak or understand the […]
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An ode to comfort zones and stepping out of them
After months of planning and preparation for a trip I didn’t expect would ever happen, I was finally there. Like almost everyone who was with me along the way, I had only seen Japan in books, on the internet and in strange renditions of it in my dreams. The second I stepped off the plane, […]
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Tokyo souvenir stores
When I first started traveling, I use to fixate on two things; the stamp in my passport and the souvenir. The souvenir would be something that would reflect my entire experience in that location. It was important to me. Without the stamp and souvenir, did I even visit the place? That was my mindset. It […]
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Nike Tokyo
I have loved working for Nike over the past two and a half years. Their international reach is inspiring, and it was fun checking out the different locations in Japan.
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Convenience store cruisin’
In Japan, convenience stores, or konbini, are a cornerstone in society. With many open 24 hours a day, and seven days a week, they provide a variety of goods to customers whenever they need it. 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and Lawson make up the vast majority of the 50,000-plus convenience stores that exist across the country. To […]
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Karaoke: Understanding the hype
Karaoke isn’t really a thing in America. Sure, we have karaoke bars here and there, and there are adult entertainment type places that have karaoke rooms, too, but it’s just not something you suggest to your friends on a random Thursday night. So when my sister’s boyfriend, who lived in Japan for about a year […]
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Arashiyama Park
On one of our last days in Kyoto, a few of us ventured off closer to the mountains. We got the chance to visit the Arashiyama Monkey Park and the bamboo forest. This was one of my favorite days in Kyoto. I am very thankful to having a group of friends to experience this with […]
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What Japan taught me
For me, I usually end a trip in tears. Immersing myself in a place so deeply that I’m devastated to return home is just how I do things when traveling. Most people get a “breather” when they vacation, and “recharge their batteries” so that life back home doesn’t seem so mundane and exhausting. But trips […]
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