Category: Traveling

We just returned from a second wonderful Walt Disney World Vacation in Orlando, Florida. We had a great time, just like our first visit! This time we stayed at Disney’s Pop Century Resort which was just a basic hotel, but it definitely fit our needs. The important thing was that there was great bus service to the parks, Downtown Disney, and the airport.

The first day, we visited the Magic Kingdom, second day was Hollywood Studios, and the third day was Epcot. We didn’t have time to visit Animal Kingdom this time around. One tradition we have when we visit a Disney park is that we buy a bag of Sour Ball Candy (assorted flavors) and snack on them all day. We’ll choose a color for the other person and that person will try guess the flavor. Strangely enough, the bag usually gets finished right at the end of the day.

Before my memory fades too much, I want to quickly get things down. So here’s a list of notable things from the trip:

• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is so fun! We couldn’t get a FastPass + for this one, so as soon as we arrived at the park, we headed to this ride first. (Tip: Reserve FastPass + online early!)
• The Memory Maker photo pass is a great deal. We took photos whenever we saw one of the photographers, and also met some characters and took photos. Also, the newer rides such as Tower of Terror and the previously mentioned Mine Train automagically take video footage of you and make a cool video. Check out the video at the end of this post!
• We joined the “More intense” Orange Team for Mission: SPACE. At the last moment, Mariko opted out and it was a smart move. I think she would have been dizzy and not feeling well the rest of the day. Bay, Koa, and I enjoyed it though, and we went on it again (Green Team) with Mariko two more times.
• Epcot World Showcase is more fun than I had expected (and remembered). The Agent P missions that Koa joined were well-done! The Morocco area is my favorite.
• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is a great ride! I generally don’t like the free-fall-type rides, but this one was better in that you are shot up in the air, and then you hang for a second before coming back down. I guess since you know exactly when you are going to free-fall, it’s not so bad.

In the video below, we are sitting in the top-right of the ride. But the funniest part are the two dudes sitting in the middle. Their poses are classic!

I am looking forward to our next trip to a Disney Resort. I really think that spending the money to stay at an official Disney Resort is the way to go. There are just so many perks to doing it that way. And you know, life’s short. If you have the means, I highly recommend it. /ferris

I have been in love with Japan for a very long time now, I think it started when I was 12 and I saw the miniseries Shogun on television. I was fascinated with the setting and the characters. I may be mistaken, but the character  thought that … was super cool, and I believe the character Lady Mariko was my first crush. Ever since then, I have been a Japanophile.

From that time until my mid-twenties, I spent a lot of time watching Japanese dramas, listening to Japanese bands, and visiting Little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles. But it wasn’t until I visited Japan that it really changed my life.

In 1995 I went on vacation with my parents to Tokyo. It was about a 5-day trip, and my parents acted as tour guides for me since they had visited Japan a few times before. We saw so many cool sights including Shinjuku, Tsukiji, Asakusa, Nikko, and Kamakura. It was such an amazing trip! Tokyo was everything I thought it would be: fast-paced, crowded, clean, and modern. It’s funny to think about it, but I remember feeling like that should be my home.

And when we returned back to the States, I felt what I think is homesickness. Isn’t that weird? But even though I was only in Japan for 5 days, I missed it so much and I was in a blue mood for a couple weeks.

At that time I was working at UCLA and was enjoying my life but after my trip I knew I had to move to Japan. It was a certainty. I didn’t know how I would do it, but I decided to give myself half a year to move there, and after I made the decision, my blue mood was instantly replaced with excitement.

More on this story to come…

I’m pretty lucky that I live on the edge of the Texas Hill Country, which has some really fun roads to ride. This morning I rode Route 1431 from our house in Cedar Park to Marble Falls, then up to Park Road 4, which goes past Longhorn Caverns State Park, and then on to Inks Lake State Park, where I took these photos. It was so much fun, that I turned around and rode the same way back home, and made it in time for lunch! It was a total of about 150 miles round-trip and a fantastic way to spend a Saturday morning.