The other day, we had a fun new experience that involved bamboo, ramen, and lots of water. For the first time, we had the chance to try Nagashi Somen – loosely translated as Flowing Noodles. Nagashi Somen is a summertime…
Daruma Temple
Today, after the big typhoon faded and the wind started to let up, we made it to both the Daruma Temple and the Daruma Factory. From what I understand, the Japanese Daruma doll began as a representation of the priest…
Kusatsu Hot Springs
Today, we went to Kusatsu Hot Springs. It is located in the mountains of Gunma Prefecture in the town of Kusatsu. The volcanic hot springs is known for having the largest volume of hot water flow in the country, more…
Rice Ball Heaven
Have you ever traveled and found a shop or restaurant so delicious that you go many times? Perhaps there is concern that the next place you go just won’t be as tasty. Or, perhaps it is just the innate need…
Conveyor belt sushi is so passé.
Conveyor belt sushi is so passé. Today, we discovered what happens when Japanese sushi meets the Jetsons: High tech screens and sushi shooting down the shute. The kids were in heaven. According to them, we have discovered “the best restaurant…
Visiting Our First Japanese Temple
We got to teach the boys about visiting a Japanese shrine today. Shrines and temples are everywhere in Japan. Many are world famous heritage sites while others can be found tucked in between tall skyscrapers in downtown areas. The…
Reflections from the Airplane
We have made it onto the airplane on the first leg of this wild adventure, and it is feeling a bit surreal. We are officially nomads, homeless with only backpacks on our backs. The past week has been a flurry…
Did they win the lottery or something?
The other day I was asked by a friend how we could even consider selling most of our stuff and our home for a big one year adventure. She continued by admitting that, although she loves travel and was incredibly…
Our House Sold!
With any luck, the house is sold! In mid-June, after a heck of a lot of purging and cleaning, we left our sparse and sparkly home in the hands of our realtor and left town for a long weekend away…
Taking It All to Charities
After taking at least six large van fulls of someone else future treasures to charities this week, the garage is clean and the house is really starting to look empty. Now, the cleaning begins…