This is part of an email I sent to my friend...but you all can read it to be up to date about me. :)
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Lately I've been feeling very ready to get back home to Indiana/Michigan, but just last night and today I've kind of had a life rejuvenation. I've been pretty sad about being away from all the greatness in Holland and stressed with worrying about the rest of my life. Registering for classes was stressful, because I had to start really thinking about if I actually want to go to grad school and if so, when and for what. I hate making big decisions because it always seems so set in stone...I just don't want to make the wrong decision and then waste time on something that I never really wanted in the first place. The main thing that set it off was that I'm taking Advanced Research for psych next semester and I absolutely hate research/reserach methods. Gross. I just like knowing and learning the stuff...not data collection and analysis. But it's a good class to take before going to grad school.

So I've been kinda down about all that stuff (plus tons of school work thats due in the next few weeks)...but last night a friend of mine sent me a song actually that I think was part of the reason why I'm feeling better. It's Opportunity by Pete Murray...if you get a chance, listen to it. It's really perfect to how I'm feeling here now too.

But I just realized today/last night that I actually have a lot of potential. (Mom will like to hear this I think.) This is probably the first time I've ever really let myself believe that. I'm a hard worker. When I get faced with a challenge I always get through the stress soon enough...and I normally do it better than I give myself credit for. I just decided that I need to stop thinking and worrying so much about the future and just live in the present. Stressing and worrying about a challenge does nothing to help the situation whatsoever. I just figured out that I can get through the dumb research class, do the grunt work that I need to to get to a point in my education and career where I can dictate what I want to do. I have options...and I'll make decisions (scary decisions even) and my life will go one way or another...but I'll make the most of it. I still have no clue what it is I want to do with my life, but I know that whatever happens happens and the only thing to do is keep living in the moment and moving forward...keep making choices, learning, making mistakes, making new choices, and on and on.

I'd been stuck regretting not going to Europe for my study abroad so that I could have a different experience for once and be closer to my Hope friends...but I'm taking this experience in Japan for what it's really worth. A semester abroad...I'm meeting new, cool people from all over the world, getting to eat loads of Japanese food, speaking more Japanese than I ever will again, and obviously getting a chance to learn more about myself. I know that I at least won't forget this revelation.

I'm excited to get home to see my family and my friends, but I'm also going to make this last month and a half worthwhile. I want to leave here without regrets. Of course there will still be things I regret...even in the future I may regret the fact that I didn't focus so much on my language study...or that I didn't hang out more with my great aunts, but in general, I'm going to make my last month and a half here worth the trip and the time!
~~~~~~~~

And that's that. Listen to that song. It'll probably be cheesy to you...but it fit. You know how a song can just fit so perfectly at that moment? That's what this song was for me.

~~p.s.~~
Here's some pics...





Here's the pic that is my icon now, Mom...so you can see it big version. I like it.

The rest!

K, so I decided that people probably don't enjoy reading my entire journal entries about my spring break...so to be nice here's just a quick overview with a few pics. :) Maybe I'll add more pics if I feel like it...otherwise check out facebook, you know.

Nikko!!!


Alex and I doing monkey faces before we left...they have monkeys in Nikko normally, but we actually didn't see any and you'll see why.


At the Tokugawa shrine...hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil. This is where those cute monkeys came from!!


Shoe-less jig! We had to take our shoes off to go into certain temples. It was kinda cold, but still fun. Plus this picture was forbidden...oops! Cool.


Leah calls this my "girl-power" pose. Haha. Just a group shot of me, Amanda, and frozen polar bear Alex.


It was so nice there...we really didn't mind that it was rainy because it just made it smell sooo good there. Getting out of the city was spectacular!


The waterfall at the top of the mountain! It was so cool to see half frozen. I've only seen it in the summertime. And yes. There was a bit of snow at the top of the mountain. Soo weird since it was like 65 in Tokyo that day!


So we did a jig about it!! Waterfall jig!


Then it actually started snowing!!!! Sooo pretty!! Alex was frozen though. We figured it was probably too cold for monkeys too...too bad, ne?


The lake on top of the mountain...I'm sure we would have enjoyed it even more if it wasn't SNOWING!

Then that night when we got back we went out for a few drinks...
I needed those drinks that night. It was Thursday...being with the same people constantly for an extended period of time was a little rough. I called my mom and had a nice chat/cry before going into the restaurant with the girls. I love my mom.

Then Friday was Kamakura and Yokohama!!


When we first got there!


Two Kannons from the 100 Kannon area. Very cool.


I just thought this was a gorgeous shot. So I shot it.


Lunch time!


We hiked over a mountain to get to the other side of Kamakura to see the Daibutsu (Big Buddha).


Heading back down the other side!


Jizo-friend. Hi.


Half way through the hike there was a little shrine. We stopped and washed our money in the "wash your money and it will come back 7-fold" thing. Fun! It hasn't worked yet...I really think they just hope you accidentally drop your basket into the stream thing. Haha...there was a lot of money down there...


Our rock album cover while we were walking to see Daibutsu-friend.


We finally got to see my friend Daibutsu. Hi! It was such a beautiful day too! I just sat and hung out with Buddha friend. Just sat and thought about nothing. He would be very proud. Haha...it was really nice.


Can you find me??


Alex and me.


The ultimate gaijin in Japan man!!! Complete with leather fringe on his satchel/man purse. He followed us around all day. He was intense. So awesome.


Then we headed to Yokohama...our first stop: Chinatown! The biggest Chinatown in Japan. I liked Kobe's Chinatown better for sure.


We went shopping for the best nikuman. Sooo good...but Kobe's are still better. I'm very partial to my favorite city.


Yokohama jig!


Sooo fun! Definitely rode that ferris wheel! I kinda wanted to ride the rollercoaster too, but we weren't willing to pay so much to do it.

Then we went on a a search for a nice bar or restaurant to just chill and have some drinks. We found NOTHING! Seriously! We did an entire city sweep!!!! We got so discouraged that we just headed back to our hotel and hung out there and drank our other chu-hai. It was ridiculous...but so funny to think about now!

Saturday!!!!!!

Mt. Fuji and HOME!

It was a 2 hour bus ride to get there, but we finally got to Mt. Fuji!! Unfortunately it was really cloudy and windy, but that didn't stop us!!!


Our first view of Fuji off the bus. Sooo cool!!!


Us walking toward the cable car...turned out we couldn't ride the cable car because it was too windy. Boo. Instead......


We did a ferry tour thingy! Boat jig!


It was windy and freezing but soo much fun! Here's Leah being the kanji for mountain, me being Fuji-san, and Amanda being a Japanese gangster.


I loved this little fish change purse, but by that point I was down to 400 yen to my name. That wasn't even enough for the rest of the trip...I ended up about 1500 yen in debt. Ick. Tokyo was too expensive to do for this second time, I've decided. I still think about that fish change purse though....:(

K, long story! Well, when my mom went to San Francisco last fall she went to this creme puff place everyday because she said they have the world's best creme puffs. She was seriouslly obsessed! She told me that they're actually a Japanese company based out of Osaka, and every day that we ever talked since I've been here she would never fail to ask if I'd had a creme puff yet. Now, I don't particularly like creme puffs, but I figured I should find one at some point to get her to stop asking at least! Well, when we were gonna meet up with Colin (hmm maybe you read this already...?) we went out the wrong exit of the station and as we were searching for where to go I did a double take when we walked by this place!!! I told my friends the whole story and we didn't have time then, but we knew we had to get back there before we left Tokyo. It was in Shibuya. Well, that night, the night we were actually leaving Tokyo, we decided it'd be a GREAT idea to do a full out blitzkreig (in Leah's words) where our mission was to get creme puffs as well as sushi, all with our luggage, in time to make it to Tokyo station for our night bus back to Kyoto. We had two hours total. We totally did it...and we conqured Shibuya (the busiest and most crowded part of Tokyo) on a Saturday night and only tripped about 100 people in the process!! It was great!


Me with my creme puff!!! Like I said, I'm not a big fan of creme puffs, but these were SO FREAKING GOOD that all of us went back for seconds!!!!!! Soooooooooooooo good! And, a nice update is that I actually found a Beard Papa's in Osaka!!! Soo good! Yay!


They actually fill the puffs right when you order!!! So fresh! :) Yay!


Amanda and Leah at the standing sushi restaurant. Soo fun! And the people were so nice!

Despite the fact that we made it to Tokyo station with time to spare, our bus ended up being 2 hours late!!! It didn't come until 1:30am-ish. Soo annoying.


Here's us hanging out waiting for our bus to come.


And here's Leah and I being dinosaurs. We were bored.

And that's the end of my spring break! That was much easier to read I hope!!! Yay!

**Don't forget to read the entries before this, mom and dad!! And you can check out more pictures from those links I put on the last entry.**

Spring break...here we go....

Alright well, I guess I'm overdue for an entry about spring break...so here it is! I can upload some pics soon....hopefully. Or else I'll just send you the site of my facebook albums...yeah, I'll do that...

To see the first two days go here: http://hope.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2019632&l=5873a&id=11400015
To see Disney go here: http://hope.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2019634&l=dce6b&id=11400015

March 17, 2007 - St. Patty's Day!
We're on our way to Tokyo on the night bus! We had a TON of mix up on the way here though! It all started once we got to Tambabashi station to change and go to Kyoto station. We got on a really nice looking train and it turned out we had to pay an extra 500 yen to ride - so funny. And annoying, but it was fun. Then at Kyoto station we walked around to find food for me and Alex - found a GREAT curry place - yum!
Then we went to go get our bus. They told us bus #3. We went over and they told us we weren't going to Tokyo Disney on that bus (that was where we had scheduled to be dropped off). So we had to go back and talk to the people and then they put us on a different bus to Disney. Then we weren't sitting in our assigned seats - so we got the whole back row. Pretty sweet. More leg room too! But they don't lay back as far. Oh well. All the lights are still no too. I don't get it. ?? And the bus is not what we expected. We thought it'd be individual comfy seats - but b/c we got the standard cheap one, it's just a charter bus. Boo. Oh well. Leah and I kampai'd (cheers'd) with our cocktail partners and now I'm getting sleepier.
WOAH! Temporary crisis!! I dropped my phone down in between the seats and I almost lost it forever!! But Alex helped me get it back. Yay! Now I think I'm gonna try to sleep some! Good Night!!

March 18, 2007 - St. Patty's in Japan (apparently)
What - a - day! OMG. So after a terribly uncomfortable and NOT restful ride to Tokyo on the night bus, we finally arrived! We were the last stop and we got dropped off at Tokyo Disney - not totally sure why still, but that's ok because WHAT A WAY TO WAKE UP AND ARRIVE IN TOKYO! Great Disney music was playing - AND we saw Mt. Fuji!! It was so cool!!! Soo soo cool!! Yay! Then we made our way to the station and to Kanda where our hotel is.
So we asked the dude at the station where the hotel is - he told us and we eventually found it to drop off our bags. We left then and headed toward Harajuku. This was at about 7:30am.
We got to Harajuku and took pics of the completely empty street! - It was so crazy! - and then went to a little cafe for breakfast of milk tea and sandwiches. I finally got that ham sandwich I'd been craving! Yum! Then we went walking around Shinjuku and stuff - everything was still closed - and we went over to Meiji shrine - my favorite shrine EVER! Yay! We saw 2 weddings going on! And there were a ton of people with their babies there to be blessed too! The weather was georgous for it all too! (Side random thought: I'm happier here I've noticed - maybe because things are more familiar, but I like it here better than Kansai - at least for now).
We hung out in the shrine for a while. So fun. And just a nice way to start out the day. Plus, there were a TON of foreigners around - like HARDCORE. Leah and I started saying "tag" whenever we saw one, but then it ended up that they were everywhere so we quit.
After Meiji we headed around the corner to Yoyogi Park. It was really big and so so nice! There were people just chilling in the park eating, playing music, playing games, walking, etc. We walked by this one group of people playing little flutes and we all got excited and started jigging (or "jug" as Leah likes to say). Then we walked further back in the park. There was a pretty fountain pond thing and ONE blooming Sakura tree. So pretty! Then Amanda saw these kids doing a bunch of juggling and stuff across the park and just decided to go over and join them. It was so awesome! Eventually the three of us headed over there too. It was so much fun! We learned how to do that cone juggling thing with the string like what Alex and I saw in Kobe! I got pretty good at it if I do say so myself! I ended up being able to throw it up int he air and catch it 6 times in a row!! So fun! And they said I was pretty good especially since I've never done it before! Yay! We probably hung around with them doing all that for an hour or so. Oh! And these guys were taking photos of us while we were playing with them. One photographer talked to us - in English - and said he was taking photos for a newspaper or something. Cool!
Then after we thanked them and said bye we went to go find the kabab place I went to with Adam before. I think the same Turkish dude was working there too. Soo freaking good! Yum! We met some folks there eating too from Hiroshima but foreigners. They said they came all the way there for the St. Patrick's Day parade that was going on today. It was just down the street! So we decided we'd check that out!
We went and shopped a bit and then got some crepes - of course! We took our crepes over to the parade then. It was so freaking crowded with foreigners!! So freaking AWESOME though!!!! Seriously! They had a full out PARADE! With marching bands and bagpipes and leprechauns! We all got Ireland flags and everything! We finally figured out that that's why there were such a huge number of foreigners around today.
We stood and took lots of pics and danced around and got really into it all. We were having so much fun and we were completely sober! We were seriously the only people there that were so into the parade! The funny thing is too that most of the people in the parade were Japanese! Ha! But all I heard spoken today was English. It was hard to remember that we were in Japan! At one point these guys were trying to get by us and were like "Excuse us" and Leah was like "Oh no problem..wait...I dont' understand English...where am I again?" I go, "Oh yeah, we're in Japan...wakarimasen..." Haha. They laughed but were kinda confused too...oh well.
But yeah, it was so fun! All the people actually in the parade were loving us because we were actually so into it all. We "jug" for so long even after it all ended!!
After all of that we headed back to the hotel and all of us were just DEAD! We got back to the hotel - got our room - we're in 901 - which is the only room on the TOP floor. So cool! It's pretty big too!
Once we all got up here, we all washed our faces, brushed our teeth, put on pjs and took a NAP! I was coughing like I had freaking whooping cough, but I got some sleep. I just feel bad for keeping Leah awake.
We had decided that we'd get up around 7:30 for dinner...luckily Leah heard the alarm because none of us did! We slowly got up, changed, and went to a nearby gyudon palce for a quick, cheap meal. It was really good actually. Back here we made plans for tomorrow - hitting up all around Tokyo - Ueno, getting kabuki tickets, Roppongi and maybe Asakuasa. And now bed! I love you journal! Good night!

March 19, 2007 - Dad's b-day!
Ok, gotta write fast because I'm waking up in like 5 1/2 hours! Ah! DISNEYLAND TOMORROW!! Yay! Happy!
Ok, we got up earlyish and got ready to go. We headed to Kabukiza (the Kabuki house) to find out about tickets. We decided to go back later and just get tickets for the 2 last acts. So yay. We went to lunch at Denny's in Ginza - so good as usual. Then we went to the imperial palace. We walked through a cool garden and then saw the palace and got our pics taken in front - missed my Nihon forever posse so bad there.
Then we headed toward Ueno because Leah really wanted to go to the zoo there and the art museum. When we first got to the area we went to a temple and some Canadians started talking to Amanda and asked if she wanted them to show her how to cleanse herself before entering the temple. Ha! We chatted with them a bit - kinda creepy. Then we walked through Ueno park. It was pretty and there was a clown/magician dude performing. The zoo and museums were closed but it was ok. I wasn't feeling very fun and excited to be out today for some reason. Not until after kabuki. Leah was getting frustrated easily and I was having to spend so much money - it was no good. But yeah.
So after they got pizza and beer in the park, we headed back to kabuki to get in line. We tag teamed to get food for the show and then got tickets. it was seriously the LAST row at the top but that's ok. It was still cool to see - as ever. The first act we saw we didn't ahve translation so it was a little rough, but the 2nd we got translation for. I had seen the 2nd act before during May term. So yeah.
After kabuki - my knee killed - we went to Roppongi for dinner time. We did the city view there too. It was at the top of this TALL building. 52nd floor! So freaking georgous at night! Yay! 1000 yen though. Luckily we had a student discount, but still. It was still freaking georgous.
I called mom after that to wish Dad a happy birthday - but he had gone to work! I forgot! But I got to chat with mom some AND while I was on the phone it was spitting SNOW in TOKYO!!!!! So crazy! We walked and I talked to mom. I told her about yesterday and today a bit. And how I like Tokyo because it's familiar but not because every single person here ONLY speaks English to us! So annoying! But yeah. Um...then we found a place to eat - yakiniku. It was really good, but more money again. Then we made it back here on almost the last train. Ok! Gotta sleep! Disney in t-minus 5 hours! Good night!

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Ok, that's all for now...my fingers aren't working right anymore...I'll write more tomorrow! Enjoy my awesome detailedness!!!


(Then the next time I wrote on my xanga....)

April 5th

omg. life is stressful right now.
boo.
help.
gotta go be more stressed.
more spring break coming soon.
love.
the end.

(Then the next time I updated about spring break...)

Ok, so this is long...so make sure you have some time....

More spring break madness for you! I'm telling you I'm reallly big on journaling...and now you get a taste of it if you couldn't already tell...have fun reading unimportant details mixed in with crazy happenings!


March 20, 2007

I was supposed to be the first up today, but I overslept a bit. It was ok though. We all got ready and headed to DISNEY! We got there around 8:45ish and it was already crowded! But we got started! The first thing we did was ride Pirates of the Carribean after we got fast passes for Thunder Mountain railroad. It was a fun way to start off our day. Then I bought some Minnie ear clips for my hair. So cute! I had them in all day!!

So next we went to It’s a Small World after me, Leah and Amanda got some chocolate popcorn that was AMAZING and incredibly cheap! 270yen! Crazy! Small World was so much fun! We were all so happy and doing jigs the whole time in line!

Then we headed over to Haunted Mansion. We decided that we just had to expect lines so whatever. And once we had all agreed on that we had so much fun in that line for 2 hours! We made up a song about waiting in line…soo funny! There was even a jig break in the middle of it! We finally got on the ride after some talk about 90’s pop boyband music. It was so fun! Plus on the ride I scared Leah and Alex by knocking on the back of their car…it was hilarious!!

After that…OH WAIT! Right when we had gotten in line for the Haunted Mansion, “Minnie’s Tiara of Dreams” parade started! It was so nice, but the best part about it all was that when Belle and Beast’s float came by we were all waving and Belle saw us, reacted to the fact that we were foreigners, put her hand on her heart, and waved back. Then she noticed Amanda’s birthday sticker (we told them it was her bday because it’s on Monday or something) and Belle mouthed “Happy Birthday” from probably 30 yards away!! It was so exciting! We all freaked out and were jumping and screaming all over the place.

Anyways, then Alex and I rode the tea cups because I wanted to so BAD! She was such a trooper but I seriously spun her to the point of illness. She had her hand on her head and was all slumped over, but I had fun! Yay!

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March 22, 2007

We’re on our way to Nikko! Yay! Sorry about the other night! I was dead tired after Disney! Ok! Where was I? Well, after tea cups we went back towards the front to find food for lunch. We had curry chicken sandwiches. Food is so cheap there!

Right when we were finishing up, another parade started! It was the one that made me cry last time I was there! It was so great! Plus we were right in front of the castle so I took some great pics on Leah’s camera. (P.S. I totally forgot my camera battery that day! What a day to forget it, huh?!) So yeah, after lunch (actually I think it was before) we went and used our fast passes on Thunder Mountain Railroad. It was really fun! And we were in the front car which is always fun! Hehe!

After that we headed over to Toontown – oh but before we left Westernland or whatever we got a pic with Goofy and I really liked him. He kept holding my hand and stuff! Then in Toontown we worked really hard to get pics of us jumping in the air! I had to teach Alex after lots of tries. They look awesome! So cartoony!

Then Leah and Amanda got in line for the Roger Rabbit ride and I wanted a pic with the Big Bad Wolf, who, I’ve decided, is now my boyfriend. You see after Alex took our pic he kept holding my hand and hugging me. Boyfriend. Leah and I decided that next time I nee to go in close and ask “Gaijin desu ka?” (“Are you a forgeigner?”) Haha! I can just see him doing like crazy nodding and stuff like his character would, but not saying anything! Haha!

Anyways, then I got in line for Roger Rabbit – I had to say bye to my bf. That line though took FOREVER! And that was the point where my feet really started hurting big time. But that ride was seriously SO MUCH FUN!! We took pics while we were on the ride – not supposed to but oh well! So fun! Hehe.

After all that we saw Donald and Daisy and Scrooge. But they headed off into city hall where we decided they were going to get married!

We headed to Tomorrowland after that and staked out a place to sit during the next parade! It was the same one from int h morning when Belle waved at Amanda for her birthday. It was so fun! We were really close this time too and we saw bitchy Sleeping Beauty and cracked out Snow White. Yay! It was so funny watching the princes dancing around too…so great! And the kids around were too cute!

After that we headed to the Buzz Lightyear Space Shooter ride. That wait was kinda long, but we got to have lots of jigs and sang songs and had good chats. Fun! Then the ride too was so so fun! We actually got to shoot phaser guns and got to shoot at stuff! Yay! I got to level 3 with my score! It actually kept score and stuff!

After that we went and rode the starjets ride. That one had a little bit of a wait, so while we waited I explained Nykerk to Amanda. Yay! That ride was so fun too – except Leah was freaking out and saying we were gonna die.

After that ride ended, it was perfect timing to use our fastpasses on Splash Mountain! We hurried over because right after that was the Mainstreet Electrical Parade! So we hurried over but the fast pass line was soo long! It took a really extra long time for a fastpass line! But the ride was really fun! We got completely splashed in our faces. So funny! It was really fun though and cute!

But when we left, the parade had already started! Amanda had to find her glove and we waiting. Then we figured the parade hadn’t gotten to Tomorrowland yet because it was last for the last parade. So we tried to go over to the left, because Tomorrowland was right next to Adventureland where we were, but they had blocked it off! So I went to the ride and I just started RUNNING! We all sprinted around 3/4 of the park to reach the front of the parade in Tomorrowland. We went all these back ways and weaved through so many Japanese people. So many paths were blocked off by people watching and park guards. I was leading our pack for the whole way. At one point too, a bunch of Japanese people joined us in running. Then we were probably only 2/3 there and Leah handed off her camera to me and she and Alex walked. Amanda and I ran the rest of the way! I’m so proud of myself for running that far and in such little time because we totally caught up to the front of the parade!! That will FOREVER be known as our epic run through Tokyo Disneyland! So awesome! During Amanda and my last leg I told her how this run was the beginning of my half marathon training. Haha! If we could have been able to go the opposite way from Splash Mountain it would have taken us like a minute to get there. Instead it was like a 5-7 minute run. So hilariously awesome!

The parade was freaking sweet too! Everything was made up of Christmas lights. Nemo was in it and PETE AND ELLIOT!!! SO AWESOME! I took pics with Leah’s camera and on my phone. I love Disney! Mary Poppins and Burt saw Amanda and I too and did a special pose for us and waved really big. The perks of being a gaijin at Tokyo Disney!

After the parade we grabbed dinner really quick because we thought we could make it to the front of the castle for the fireworks. But no. Alex even completely missed them! I got to see them at least. Yay! I took pics with my camera phone. We ate dinner together then. I had a Mickey Mouse shaped cheeseburger! So good too!

Then we headed back towards the front to do some shopping before we headed out. Alex wanted to go back to some candy store she’d seen before so I went with her and while she bought that I got some CURRY POPCORN! It was sooooooo good! It’s Leah’s worst nightmare though because she hates curry and popcorn. Ha1 It was incredible though! Then we hung out a bit longer in front of the castle and then danced our way back to the train station. It was such an amazing. It really really was!

Phew! So that’s Disney…

Then yesterday we wanted to sleep in – so we did. Then we got up and got ready to go to Shibuya to meet Colin and Masako for lunch at a great curry place. They had gone to a DaVinci exhibit in Ueno that morning then Colin was planning on eating with us. So yay! Masako-chan!!!!!! I love that girl so freaking much! I was so happy I got to see her! We got lost when we first got out of the station, but I called Colin and we worked it out and found him. And my lovely Masako! Then we went to this incredible Indian curry place for lunch! 2 types of curry and all-you-can-eat nan bread. So so good! And Colin was very entertaining of course! My friends love him now. After a very fun and delicious lunch Colin and Masako took us to Sunshine City which had a Gyoza Kingdom (or something), Ice Cream City, umm Cheessecake Fest, and other big areas of one thing. It was crazy! I would totally go back to the gyoza place if we had time. We had just eaten though so we just got this cool Turkish, stretchy ice cream. Delish!

Then we were all really tired. We went to the mall area and all just sat and chatted. We took a few pics but not many. After all that though we decided it’d be a good idea to head home. I had to say bye to Masako. She’s going to work at Disneyworld in Florida!! She leaves in June I think! How cool!! I wish I could hang out with her more. I love her.

So after we parted ways, us girls shopped a bit and I got myself a present…

BLUE POLKA DOT SHOES!! So awesome! I love them except they’re extremely uncomfortable! Oh well! They’re spirited and that’s all I really care about!

Then the four of us went back to the hotel and slept for a while until around 8:30. We got up and got ready to go meet up with Nico for his birthday celebration! We went to get gyudon again before we left. Yum. Then we just headed toward his hostel in Asakusa. We hadn’t heard for sure what we were doing except that he was headed back to his hostel. So we went there. From the station we had no clue where to go though so we got kinda lucky when Will and 2 of the Columbian girls showed up! We walked with them to the hostel to wait for Nico. He didn’t show up for a while and by the time we met up, took some pics, gave hugs and set out from the hostel, we needed to get back or else we were gonna miss the last train. So we had gotten all cute for nothing! It’s ok though because we all decided to go out another time back in Makino (home) or somewhere. Nico’s so great! He called us his little sisters and we had been saying how he’s like our older brother. So I called him big bro and now he calls all of us “sissy.” He really is like our older brother. Love him. I’d say Colin’s like my brother too. Both great guys.

But yeah, so we had to head back home before we even got out to the bar. But it was ok. We went to a combini and got some chi-hai and drank and chatted in our room until late. We looked at pics and laughed and shared stories about our childhoods and stuff. It was a really good bonding night.

Then this morning we got up and got ready and righ tnow we’re almost to Nikko. It’s such a nice day too! We’ve been so lucky with the weather here this week! Yay! So I’ll probably write about Nikko on the way home. Get excited! WML!!

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That's all for now. I'll finish it up soon! K bye.