Something I've discovered as I've traveled more is that I hate standard rolling luggage. I want to learn to pack less and get a bag that I can carry on my back, to leave my hands free. Also, even though I will probably always stand out as a tourist, I want to be less conspicuous as one, if that makes sense. I'd much rather travel with a barely- ( Read more... )

So this year's going to be busy with travel. Next month we're going to Nagano for snowboarding... then in March we're going to Turkey. I'm so psyched (well, about everything except for the EIGHTEEN HOUR NONSTOP FLIGHT to get there... dear god). Guys. I love Turkish food. If I had no self control, I'd probably eat köfte with yogurt and garlic until ( Read more... )

Okunoshima is a very small island off the coast of Hiroshima. During WW2 it was where Japan manufactured and experimented with poison gas. After the war, the gas factory was dismantled and the test rabbits released. Now the island just features a hotel, some ruins, a museum, some tennis courts, and hundreds of friendly, scruffy rabbits.


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Hawkers, tourists, piles of trash, "yes please hello", piles of offerings, incense, flowers, concrete, monsters, gods, gates, temples, scooters, roosters crowing, stray dogs, frogs croaking, kites in the sky, lace, fruit, bells, quivering fingers, wide eyes, holes in the sidewalk, "taxi? taxi?", Bintang, bootleg, batik, ikat, and all over again.


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This month has been kind of hellish. Now we have a bit of a holiday, which is nice. It's called "Golden Week" and it's probably the second busiest holiday of the year in Japan, which means everything is crowded and expensive so we're staying here. Last weekend we finally went to Hiroshima with our friends Ryan and Mina. We went to the Peace ( Read more... )

So it looks like we won't be taking a trip back to America this summer. Plane tickets for late July are costing $2,000 EACH. One-way. Freaking. INSANE. I don't understand why. Did we wait too long? I guess so.

Now I don't know what I want to do. Okinawa? Hong Kong? South Korea? Hmm.

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The past couple weeks have been pretty busy. Mr. Obata (a principal at one of Rob's elementary schools) took us up North into Tajima. We went to Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine (an old mine turned into a museum), Takeda Castle ruins, and a city called Izushi ( Read more... )

Rob and I are going to be in your nice filthy city on March 7 and 8 for a wedding. I think all that's on the agenda so far is the wedding and seeing Watchmen. Any other suggestions? Is there a particular theater we should see Watchmen at?

Colorado was cold, man.


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