Tag: travel

A-Z Challenge – O

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Redondo Beach, 2013
Photo info: SONY NEX-6, 28mm, f/13, 1/160 sec, ISO100
 Redondo Beach, 2013

O is for “Ocean”

I’ve always loved the ocean… swimming in it, listening to the waves, or hanging out at the beach during the summer… so many good memories! Living in Central Texas for the past 16 years, I really miss the water. Sure, there are lakes and rivers here, but swimming in them gives me the creeps! Salt water is much more to my liking. Scuba diving in clear tropical waters is such an amazing experience! 🐠

A few of my fondest ocean memories are:

  • Torrance Beach (California) – My hometown actually has a small strip of beach, just south of Redondo Beach (my birth city), and the strongest memory I have of this beach is going there with my family when I was really little, and the smell of french fries from the snack bar was so strong and good! I have a vague memory of eating some fries, and they were limp and greasy but yummy all the same! 🍟
  • Manhattan Beach (California) – During my high school years, my friends and I would hang out here during the summers. A great period of my life, driving our used cars, working part-time jobs, and looking for parties. At the beach, we worked on our tans, but maybe now we are paying for it with extra wrinkles! 😝
  • Ho’okipa Park (Maui) – We visited my Dad’s hometown (Wailuku) on Maui during the summers when I was under 10 years old, and we would often go to this small beach. These days it is famous for windsurfing, but back then in the mid-’70s, there was surfing and spearfishing. While my oldest brother was riding the waves, my dad was spearfishing and my other brother and I would float along in inner tubes (real car inner tubes made of rubber) following my dad as he speared fish. Fun! 🐟
  • Enoshima (Japan) – This touristy island can be reached by a long bridge, and Mariko and I explored the island for a whole day. Lots of great views of the Pacific… a wonderful memory shared by us newlyweds. 💞

We are planning on moving to Japan when our kids are independent, and I’d love to live near the ocean again. Even if we don’t live in a coastal town, Japan is small compared to Texas, so we should be able to visit the ocean much easier. I need to hear the sound of the ocean waves on the shore again. It makes me feel alive! 🌊

Cloudy skies

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"Cloudy Skies" SWEDEN. Stockholm. 2015.
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/8, 1/60 sec, ISO500
 “Cloudy Skies” SWEDEN. Stockholm. 2015.

This is a photo from the end of August 2015 when I went on a business trip to Stockholm. The city is beautiful, especially because it is on the water, where reflections can highlight the city and bridges, making for some wonderful photo opportunities. I am not sure exactly how much distance I covered during the days I had free, but the city is so walk-able that it I found it impossible not to just wander around the city. In fact, there were a couple of times where I stepped outside the hotel doors, chose a direction and just started walking. There are even some fantastic routes for running right in the middle of the city, which is so convenient. If you ever have the chance to visit Stockholm, you should!

Being early

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Here’s a wonderful post over at Unclutterer all about the benefits of being early.

I try to be early for my appointments, but especially for things like arriving at the airport. I would rather get there an hour earlier than recommended and spend the time reading or getting a bite to eat, than stressing over missing my flight, worrying about traffic, getting stuck in long security lines, etc. In fact, I feel good when I am in a long security line but realize that I have plenty of time and don’t need to stress. Or if traffic backs up unexpectedly (which fortunately Google Maps/Navigation can alleviate), I know I don’t need to worry. I’ll make it in time!

View over Osaka

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JAPAN. Osaka. 2014.
Photo info: SONY SLT-A77V, 10mm, f/8, 1/350 sec, ISO100
 JAPAN. Osaka. 2014.

I miss Japan! Unfortunately, I won’t be traveling there this summer 😢, but perhaps next year! I took this photo from the Tsutenkaku observation deck. In it you can see the tallest building in Osaka prefecture, “Abeno Harukas”.

One thing I love when traveling in Japan is that my wife (who was born and raised in Kansai area of Japan) really takes care of us and we get to do lots of cool things. It’s kind of like we have a tour guide wherever we go! She treats us so well, and for that I am truly grateful. 🙇 You know, I would be happy just hanging out in the city during our visits, but my wife often takes us around the country to see new places (and eat local foods). It’s kind of surprising for me (as someone who grew up in the U.S.) to realize that there are so many regional differences throughout the country of Japan. I love it! So much to explore… 🇯🇵

Super Sunday

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"Window to Summer" USA. Texas. Cedar Park. 2016.
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/125 sec, ISO3200
 “Window to Summer” USA. Texas. Cedar Park. 2016.

こんばんは！Hello! How’s it going? I hope you had a nice Sunday.

Today is a special day… not because it is Super Bowl Sunday, but it happens to be my wife’s birthday! We did a few things to celebrate: brunch at a popular restaurant, washing and tidying up her car, and I cooked a dinner that she requested. My wife also had a long nap in the afternoon, which I think is well-earned!

Today’s photo is of a couple of vintage cameras and an Instax print. I really like this photo because the print looks like a window to another place and another season. The landscape is Kyushu, Japan in summer. I took it when we were on a special tour of the island. I’ve been to Japan many times (my wife is from Osaka) and when we visit, we sometimes go on tours of areas of the country we haven’t been to as a family. This tour we took was during the summer of 2014 and was so much fun! I loved it. I can’t wait to make more pleasant memories while traveling the world.

As I mentioned in another post, this coming week is going to be a busy one! I’m going to get some rest… the football game is almost over (I can hear it downstairs) but I am going to turn in.

Take care! おやすみなさい！

-B Barron Fujimoto