First time in Tokyo, Japan

This trip to Japan was so unexpected. Me, my husband, my mom, my uncle, and my auntie all ended up going together. Thereโ€™s been a lot of drama with my mom lately, and I just wanted to take her somewhere new, somewhere she could breathe for a bit. I also havenโ€™t seen my cousin in years, so I thought, why not visit her in Tokyo? Then I invited my uncle and auntie too, hoping we could all have a happy, peaceful vacation as a family.

I only had three weeks of vacation left for the year. I already used one week in Jamaica back in May and another week in Manila, so this basically gives me one week in Japan and one week in Korea before going back to reality and waiting until next year for fresh leave days.

One thing that made this trip extra memorable is that I recently found out Iโ€™m pregnant. So my husband and I decided to squeeze in one last round of travelling before we officially enter parent-mode. We originally planned just Manila and Tokyo, but since Seoul is right there, and my husband hasnโ€™t been, might as well add it to the route.

And honestly? I enjoyed the perks of being pregnant while travelling. I kept getting preferential treatment everywhere. We were always bumped to the front of the line, and almost every queue had a โ€œpriorityโ€ spot for me. I was not complaining.

We always hear people say Japan feels like a country living in 2050, so we were excited to finally see it for ourselves.

We left early in the morning and landed in Narita around 8 AM. My first impression was how quiet and calm everything felt. Not too impressed with the airport itselfโ€ฆ Iโ€™ve seen better onesโ€ฆ but immigration was a breeze. After that, the usual: picking up our pocket WiFi for the trip.

My cousin and her husband were already waiting for us, and they even rented a car so all of us could travel comfortably. It was so thoughtful, and honestly such a blessing to have family in Tokyo who speak Japanese and know their way around.

On the way to the city, my mom and auntie (the grannies, as I like to call them) saw Tokyo Disneyland along the route and immediately suggested a quick stop for photos. So there we were: two very excited senior citizens and my pregnant, exhausted self trying to keep up. Good thing my husband was always right beside me, ready to help whenever I needed it.

After that, we finally headed home and rested. We had Yakiniku for dinner, our first real Japanese meal in Japan. Such a treat. Itโ€™s the perfect nutritiom we need for a long day we will have tomorrow!

To be continuedโ€ฆ

you may also like

  • Fun day with my angels

    Fun day with my angels

    I feel like my insomnia is a symptom of something more serious. I’ve been restless for weeks now. I am already on Zopiclone and Zoloft yet I feel like none of them are working? ๐Ÿ˜ฉ I feel so dry, nothing seems to be interesting to me anymore. I even went as far as googling “how to find new hobbies” lol I’m desperate. I guess it really hit me when my friend said blogging is a waste of time and that she can’t fathom why I would want to share my personal business online. I’ve been blogging since 2006 and somehow this has been my “hobby”… and the first time I opened it up to my friend she said she is never going to read it….

  • Happy birthday, my love!

    Happy birthday, my love!

    November 25 is my husbandโ€™s birthday, and this year we decided to take the whole day off just to be together. Nothing fancy or over the top. Just us, spending time and catching up on the things that actually matter. Most of the day was already set aside for his checkups anyway. He was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and since Iโ€™m pregnant, we figured itโ€™s the best time for both of us to start eating healthier and paying closer attention to our health. He was in the ICU at the end of October because of DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis). We were not aware of his condition. One day I just noticed his sudden weight-loss. He was lethargic so weak, I rushed him to the…

  • Day 2 in Japan: Shrines, Street Food, and a Very Random Karaoke Night

    Day 2 in Japan: Shrines, Street Food, and a Very Random Karaoke Night

    Okay, so itโ€™s officially our second day in Japan, and the pregnant lady is still exhausted. ๐Ÿ˜… But honestly, the day couldnโ€™t go to waste. We woke up early for breakfast and decided that instead of pushing ourselves all the way to Kyoto (which wouldโ€™ve been a whole production with our schedule), weโ€™d visit Nezu Shrine instead. Nezu Shrine is like a little Kyoto tucked inside Tokyo. Quiet, traditional, and surrounded by those iconic red torii gates. Itโ€™s one of the oldest shrines in the city, and itโ€™s dedicated to Inari, the deity of prosperity and good harvest. Japan has shrines everywhere because Shintoism is deeply woven into everyday life. People visit to give thanks, pray for good fortune, or simply reconnect with nature. At…

  • Catching up

    Catching up

    Hi everyone, I’m writing to you now as a means of catching up for last month. I know a lot has been happening around the world especially in my home country, which makes me appreciate how privileged and blessed I am to be living here where the pandemic has been handled pretty well. I hope you guys are holding on. Anyway, last month has been (and I can’t stress this enough) HECTIC, in multiple facets of my life. Work per se has been voluminous,  CFA reviews and networking, home renovations, and finally launching our own business! All of that happened simultaneously in March. You can say yes I have been productive, but I have also abandoned a lot of other things like this blog, and…

  • Lazy Sunday

    Lazy Sunday

    Today is just a normal rest day for me. I started the day off with a glass of water and a 60 minute yoga workout. Ever since I discovered yoga I have been so interested in it that I want to do it almost everyday. I just stayed at home the whole day, cooked ramen, took a nap for a little bit, and continued watching Crash Landing On You. I live in the suburb part of the island so my view every morning is so peaceful and serene. I must say countryside is perfect for soul searching and meditation. If you haven’t tried yoga before I highly suggest you do. Especially if you are under a lot of stress and have trouble managing your mental…

  • Saturday nights at Cotton Club

    Saturday nights at Cotton Club

    “Is there anything else you do on Saturdays aside from clubbing?” Short answer is, no! In this small island there is not much of a variety of fun activities to do on weekends apart from beaching so yeah. This is what “Caymanian kids nowadays” do most of the time. What I like about the night life here is that girls wear literally whatever they want without being judged or bodyshamed. As a woman that is one of the most liberating feelings you could possbily feel. It also keeps my creative juices flowing esp on outfit ideas and accessorizing. In the photo above I was only wearing a gray sports bra and an office skirt – but it turned out not so bad! ___ Anywhere with…

2 Comments

  1. Such a memorable trip, Anne. Beautiful photos. I’d like to follow back to reciprocate your kindness, but I can find the subscribe button.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *