Seven years ago, when Bryce and I went to Hawaii for the first time together, I learned that he didn't know where pineapples come from. By where they "come from," I specifically mean how pineapples are grown. He always assumed pineapples grew on trees, just like, well, apples. This thinking does make sense. But, as… Continue reading Do you know where pineapples come from?
I somehow am having a hard time coming to terms that it is already 2023. I can't keep up. I had my 2022 travel year in review blog post started and saved as a draft. It never got finished. I'll just say that last year was all about travel for my family and I. After… Continue reading New year, same me
As I scrolled on my phone to learn more about the aquarium we'd be going to the next day, I stopped at a picture of an Asian small-clawed otter sticking its paw through a small hole in its enclosure. You can feed slash hold hands with otters at this Japanese aquarium?!?! I turned my phone… Continue reading Dreams coming true: making friends with otters
I had honestly never heard of Karuizawa before. One of my cousins informed me that a season of Terrace House was filmed there though. It's "in the mountains" and is pretty was all I had heard from family members. They were not wrong! We flew into Japan on a Wednesday afternoon and already the next… Continue reading Karuizawa: a trip within a trip
"Ohhhh no," Bryce said to me as we were mid-flight. "What?" I looked over at him and baby. I see him sniff through his N95 and even behind a mask, I could tell he was making a face -- an unpleasant face. She definitely had a poopy diaper. And, of course it was during the… Continue reading Baby’s first flight
The Pacific Northwest has finally graced us with proper summer weather. I'm finally wearing tanks and shorts! This also means the return to summer hiking. Because of this, we decided to go out to Snoqualmie Pass for a hike recently. This would be the third time we have been out here to the Lodge Lake… Continue reading The return of summer hiking
"I'm not doing a hike with the word 'misery' in the trail name!" I said to Bryce as I carried our 20-pound baby on my back. We had just crossed the footbridge over the river at Smith Rock State Park and the trail sign in front of us was for Misery Ridge Trail. There were… Continue reading Baby’s first canyon hike
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
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