Hong Kong: A Tale of Two Cities

THURSDAY I was engrossed in my in-flight movie and had lost track of time. I looked outside; we were level with water and fishing boats. Before I could completely panic, the wheels touched the tarmac. We were in Hong Kong.  Customs were super efficient, and we quickly picked up a pocket wifi, purchased our Octopus …

Ikimasho: Travel with Little Ones

Vanessa, Jaxon and Isaac's Visit Part 2 Vanessa and I met in Maryland when Will and Jaxon were 18 months old. We hit it off immediately and became adventure buddies taking the boys on weekly outings exploring Maryland, DC, and Virginia. Not many people would journey halfway around the world with a four year old …

Time Out in Kuala Lumpur

One of the things that has gotten discussed frequently with friends over the last 2 years is joint trips.  Singapore is always the destination utilizing free military flights (if space available when you arrive—you cannot pre-book) from Yokota Air Force base about 2 hours away. I have contemplated doing this with a few different friends …

If You Can’t Take the Heat

Today was one of those days that felt like we were on vacation even though we weren’t. It was very hot and humid so Will and I went to our current favorite beach, Isshiki Kaigan. We swam for hours and had lunch at Blue Moon Beach Hut before it closes tomorrow for the season. It …

Thriving during Golden Week

April 29 – May 7, 2017 Golden Week is a series of Japanese holidays that occur close together from the end of April through the beginning of May. Many people take off an additional day or two so they have an entire week of vacation. In our orientation to Japan, we were warned this holiday …

One Giant Amusement Park

Fun Places to Play My mom frequently has remarked that Japan seems like one giant amusement park (she is worried that Will is going to be totally bored when we move back to America). This last month has been strange, and I feel like it has been less enjoyable than in the past. Mike was …