"But will we have time to stop at Tillamook?" I asked Bryce this question numerous times leading up to our departure for our Oregon Coast road trip. We would be driving from our home in Seattle to Florence, Oregon for a week getaway before Christmas. I was adamant that we stop in Tillamook at the… Continue reading Always stop for cheese
The weather forecast for last Saturday was supposed to be "good." For Pacific Northwesterners, this means no rain. We decided to take full advantage of this by driving 60 miles north of Seattle to Camano Island. (Baby's first time on an island, check!) While Camano Island is technically an island, you don't have to go… Continue reading Always take advantage of good weather
Today is Lunar New Year. I feel like in the last few years, Lunar New Year has become really hip among corporations and businesses. No matter the product, they have their Lunar New Year sales and promotions. Even my local newspaper has a "Happy Lunar New Year" banner at the top of their website with… Continue reading Happy Lunar New Year! … to those who celebrate …
My weekend plans are usually the same: Not much, maybe go on a hike/walk with the family. Yesterday I felt really tired, despite getting a good amount of sleep the night before. In the afternoon, we decided to go on a walk in the neighborhood with the baby and pup. Usually when we go on… Continue reading A neighborhood adventure
A few years ago if you had asked me what my "travel goals" were, it would be going to new cities and/or countries. I'm not one of those people who has any desire to visit all the countries in the world. (Let's be real, that would be cool, but that also would take a lot… Continue reading This looks familiar
She stared at us from inside her presumably heated car as we walked by in rain gear and a rain cover over the baby's stroller. Saying it was pouring rain would have been an understatement. It was dumping buckets sideways. We had just parked in the lot for the Heceta Lighthouse in Florence, Oregon. It… Continue reading Torrential rain won’t stop us
"How was Osaka?" "It was good. Well, I prefer Tokyo though," I replied. My mom's reaction to my response was a burst of laughter. She then followed with: I'm not surprised. Because we are Tokyo people. This conversation occurred more than two years ago. Bryce and I had just returned to my grandma's house in… Continue reading Osaka v. Tokyo
Every New Year's Day, my mom would make osechi ryori, traditional Japanese New Year foods. Actually, I need to correct myself. She'd be cooking all day and night before New Year's Day. If we weren't home in Seattle, then we'd have an even more elaborate osechi in Japan with my baa-ba (grandma). In recent years… Continue reading Flower carrots, sleep deprivation and memories
Sometimes I see the notifications comes into my email that I gained a new blog follower. "Oh, that's nice," I think to myself. Nice that someone out there is interested to subscribe to a blog that has been dormant for 12 months. How did this even happen? There are a few factors. The first half… Continue reading The last 12 months
You're probably tired of hearing people say it: The holidays will look different this year. They won't just "look" different, they will feel different. (It's felt different this entire month!) I'm home in Seattle for the holidays. Many people around the world cannot go home for the holidays. Better worded: They are making the smart… Continue reading Home for the holidays, but it feels different
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