I'll take you in my backpack

This morning started off super fun by dying Easter eggs with my friends kiddos. They can't get that kind of thing in Nepal so I brought over all kinds of Easter goodies, including a couple of egg dying kits for them! I haven't dyed eggs in years and the kits were way fancier than anything we ever used as kids, but still super fun! After the eggs it was off to lunch for traditional Nepalese food. I have been eating this style cuisine (or similar) for many years so I was excited to try it and see similarities and differences. The flavors were amazing and the spice level was great! We started with some "bites" then had a set plate that had a nice sampling of many different dishes. One of the "bites" was described to me as "deer" it came out looking like maybe jerky, with a few fattier pieces? It was quickly discovered that my friends Nepali translation was perhaps not accurate, and that the animal wasn't in fact a deer. When I saw the p...

Saturday morning I woke up and decided I needed a little adventure in my life! I have had the Chureito Pagoda pinned for a while as a "must see" place so this was the lucky winner for adventure time! Train time vs drive time was pretty close and after a debacle with getting lost in the tunnels of Tokyo the previous day, I decided to reduce my stress and take the train! The Chureito Pagoda is approximately 2 hours from Yokota Air Base via train. If you're taking the train the stop for the Pagoda is Shimoyoshida. I enjoy train adventures because it allows you to see some beautiful places, riding in to Shimoyoshida I passed through some beautiful mountainous terrain. At one point we were riding along with some of the most stunning shots of Mt Fuji. Times like this I'm constantly reminded of  how lucky I am, the beauty of nature, and just how small we are in this big beautiful world!  taken from the train, while moving. Speechless Shimoyoshida train station is TIN...

12/30/17 I don't know how this happened. I remember the first day in Bali like it was yesterday. I remember thinking how I had SO many days to be here. And now it's like I blinked and it's over. I have so many wonderful memories imprinted on my heart and soul, I'm leaving here a different person, yet still, I simply don't know how my time here is over. My last full day in Bali. I went into today really consciously focusing on all of the things that are important to me here, the things that I will miss so much, making sure to take time to appreciate and acknowledge them. The amazing breakfast that Ogy prepares every day with the perfectly cut fruit. The visits from Olek when he sneaks in (and Ogy gets made at him because he dirties the floor but secretly I love his visits and his little playful personality), The offerings that get left at the villa door and all over Bali, the smell from the incense, the friendly "hellos" from people walking by that are ...