Travel Nostalgia

A year ago today, I was flying en route to Japan for my two-week tour of the country. It was a peek into a fascinating culture, and a trip full of amazing experiences and fond memories.

I can't help but feel a little sad and nostalgic today, when instead of bursting with excitement for my impending travels abroad, I'm having a very ordinary, run of the mill day teaching summer school. Ho hum. I find that my memories of my Japan trip are heightened and becoming clearer the 1-year mark abounds. I'm remembering the metallic smell of the subway, the hidden sushi place we discovered on our first night in Tokyo, being mesmerized by the neon lights of the city, and the peculiar cartoon character statues outside of our hostel. Great memories that only make me wish I could go back...today.

I love the excitement of planning of a trip or vacation, and watching the calendar as the days slip away and that trip draws near. Having an excursion to look forward to is such a motivator for me. The thrill of exploring somewhere new or even exploring somewhere familiar again is so captivating that I can't help but feel a little sad I'm not going anywhere new this summer.

I'm sure I'm not alone in this. Do you get travel nostalgia?

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Japan

I've been thinking a lot about Japan lately. My heart goes out to the people and families who have been killed, injured, or displaced by this tragedy. It's can't even imagine what they are going through. Having just been to Japan this past summer, I feel more of a connection to this tragedy than I normally would. Immediately after hearing I checked facebook for updates and news from my friends living in Japan, and thankfully they were safe and sound. I know Japan will come back from this, but not without memory of the sadness that's occurred.

Sending my thoughts and prayers to this amazing country and all those affected by this earthquake and tsunami. Thinking of you.

photos from my trip

Snapshots of Osaka

As I've slowly been blogging snapshots of my trip to Japan, I realized I have yet to write about my first blog-friend meet-up! After announcing I was going to Japan early this year, Vivian of Lost in Translation suggested we meet up, and I thought it to be a grand idea. After some emailing and facebooking... we organized to meet up for a night out in Japan's nightlife capital - Osaka!

Vivian is the first blog friend that I've ever met face-to-face. And we had a fabulous time! I kind of liken meeting and making blog friends to to online dating, (except the goal is friendship of course) :) After months/years of reading each others blogs, leaving comments, you kind of get an idea of the blogger's personality. Well Vivian and I got along wonderfully, as I'd anticipated. Here's a few pics from our night out on the town in Osaka!

P.S. Can you tell we both enjoy throwing around the peace sign?

Question for you all: Have you ever met up with a blogging friend or acquaintance? How did it go?

Snapshots of Hiroshima

A-Bomb Dome (The bomb exploded directly above this building. It was the only structure left standing in a 3-mile radius after the blast)

Paper cranes are a symbol of peace and can be found throughout the city.

Peace Memorial Park (overlooking the A-Bomb Dome)

Snapshots of Kyoto

Some more snapshots from my trip. Here are a few from our visit to Kyoto.

A Geisha we spotted in Gion

At the Fushiri-Inari Shrine (the fox is the sacred animal/emblem of this shrine)

Fro Yo

In Japan, my friend and I sampled the local frozen yogurt, which was sublime. And if you ever venture to Japan yourself, know this: don't count on seeing regular flavor choices vanilla or chocolate...

In Kyoto we tried the green tea frozen yogurt - which was better than any US version I've ever tasted. And in Takayama, we sampled the peach and sake frozen yogurt! Yes, you heard me right, sake froyo! Sounds odd I know, but it was quite good!

What's your favorite frozen yogurt flavor?

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Japan: Takayama

cemetery/burial ground nestled in the trees

picked everything for sale at the Jinya-mae morning market

river through Takayama

Snapshots of Tokyo

Meiji-Jingu Gardens

Tokyo is amazing because in the midst of dense metropolis, there are these patches of lush greenery. For example, round a bend from the Harujuku subway station, and you find yourself in a green wooded area, en route to the Meiji Jinju shrine.

Sake barrels that have been brought to the shrine to be blessed.

Pictures from the Daimyo Gardens.

The Kiyomasa well is a warm springs that gushes to the earth without being pumped. The water is sweet to taste and supposedly has healing powers.

So much to see! And we haven't even gotten to the actual Meiji Jingu shrine yet...

Japan: Day 1

Tokyo is busy, bustling, and fast paced. We rose early, seeing as we were not used to being 15 hours ahead. Mistake #1 - stores on average, (aside from the occasional coffee shop) do not open until at least 10:00 AM. We experienced an uncomfortable subway ride (literally smushed up against other people) and got a look firsthand at the morning commuter traffic (typical intersection at 8 AM). See how packed it is?
Having said that, there are no words to explain how polite the Japanese are. If you accidentally bump into someone, they are almost instantaneously apologizing profusely. People make room for you on the subway, people say "thank you," even when the conversation did not merit any thanks on your behalf.

More to come in a bit...