Move successful! Today’s transition was practically seamless, since I moved from one homelike space to an equally kind and comfortable one. Also, my time with Kazune and her family is far from finished, for tomorrow Natsumi and I will don ourselves in yukata and attend a matsuri (festival) and then Kazune’s firework-viewing party. Honestly, could ( Read more... )

Hello loyal readers and sorry for my absence over the last week. As you might imagine I have been quite busy buzzing around Asia. My time in Seoul was a blur of continuous activity where sleep no longer had the power to define or punctuate the days. Sleep happened, but only out of necessity ( Read more... )

One of the greatest parts about coming home after an adventurous trip is the relief of not having to be on edge all the time about making the most of every moment (at least it’s my personal inclination to fret about precious exploration minutes that slip away all too easily while preparing in the hotel or sitting down or sleeping). Well, returning ( Read more... )

Lately I’ve been running my big, feminist mouth and inspiring some of that sociocultural political discussion that I’m always looking to spark. As it turns out, Kazune is a bit of a feminist too, even if she might not know it yet. We’ve been having really fun conversations about all sorts: Japanese culture and humor compared with that of America, ( Read more... )

Well, the degree of pain in my legs tells me that I’m using my time around Tokyo well, in addition to the amount of data I’ve already been able to collect. In the past two days I’ve had three separate tea ceremony experiences and spoken with several experts on the subject. I’m in all honesty floored by how lucky I’ve been so far with the research, ( Read more... )

Wow, A lot can change in four years. But despite the new dynamic skyscrapers on the Tokyo horizon, the young girls and guys donning a whole new species of fashion, and the gadgets I’d never thought of before, Japan is still very much Japan. In fact, what’s more Japanese than constant innovation and construction? One sensation that struck me the ( Read more... )

The Return ( Read more... )

Bonjour ( Read more... )

So here I sit in my Parisian space, before exams, knowing that my life here in France will shortly come to an end in a few weeks. Yes I'm excited about the prospect of change again, change in environment, but I know that that change will be fleeting, since Florida is nothing new to me. Paris has been a good chapter in my life. I definitely feel ( Read more... )

Wow, I haven't had many weeks packed with as much luck and good times as last week with Dad and Haley! We did everything and then some. After their first 48 hours in town we pretty much covered the highlights of Paris, starting with the sparkling Eiffel tower that glimmered under the night sky and ending with a lengthy dinner near Place St. Michel ( Read more... )