March 2023 officially made it two years since I left Japan and moved back stateside. While I have enjoyed being closer to my family and friends, I find myself reminiscing about the three years that I lived in the land of the rising sun. Looking back on it, it was such a bold move for…
Tag: japan
Pandemic Comparison: Japan vs. the US
Life changed in March 2020. I was in Japan when the pandemic became serious and was afforded the opportunity to travel home to North Carolina because of the virus. After spending 7 months at home, I was able to travel back to Japan because of my job. From April 2020 until now (January 2021), I’ve…
Short Opinion Piece: Traveling While Black
I saw the above Instagram post (click here for the link) at the height of the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests as a result of a public outcry for justice of countless and unnecessary murders of black men and women at the hands of law enforcement and white supremacists. I had the idea to write…
My First Overnight Hike in Japan
In the fall of 2019, I went on my first overnight hike to Mt. Komagatake in the Akita Prefecture of Japan. Prior to this trip, my last huge hike was 3 years prior and it was a rewarding experience (Cinque Terre in Italy – I’ll blog about that later). The hike up and down Mt….
Braids and Airplanes 