'Saber'ing the moment in Sydney
As crew members, we all have our own story to tell. This is part of mine. I’ve portrayed my life as a dream on social media, but just like everyone else, I’m only human. I’ve struggled more than smiled in the past year and pulled away from friends to shield them from my true "Debbie Downer" …
Continue Reading about Ship Life: Lessons From Two Years at Sea
While everyone is talking about why 2016 has been such a terrible year, I'm off in my own corner reflecting on why it ended up being one of the best years ever (for me). I rang in the new year in Bangkok. I finished off the last half of my teaching contract in Thailand (which meant playing …
"Teacher! Teacher! TEEEAAACHHERRRRRRR!" I honestly never thought those screams would ever be directed toward me. I was the least-likely one of all my friends and colleagues to ever be a teacher because... well, because I never wanted children (and still don't). I guess that's not a reason …
Continue Reading about Teacher Appreciation: A Firsthand Perspective
After I survived my first week* of teaching children back in October, I rewarded myself by taking off to a beautiful, breathtaking nature haven: Khao Sok National Park in Suratthani. *Actually only four days, since my Thai work week is only four days Thanks to the ease of Thai minibuses …
Continue Reading about Jungle Camping in Khao Sok National Park
2015, to put it lightly, was bittersweet. It was full of places, uncertainties, endings, new beginnings, facing fears, putting my life in danger, letting go, and just being happy. Places Oh, the places you'll go! My favorites this year were Japan and Oahu, the places with my favorite …
Dear Japan, You are such an incredible place, and yet it took me ages to write this out. You were the first country to spark my wanderlust over a spontaneous Christmas trip with family friends to Tokyo. You were the first country to stamp my passport. You were the third country I moved to, but the …
We all define happiness differently. Some of us see it as something fleeting and brief. Others see it as a lifelong goal. Some may even believe it's something to achieve and spend their whole life "searching" for it. My thoughts on my own personal happiness have wavered like an emotional pendulum, …
It’s amazing how everything in your life can seemingly fall apart and come together all at the same time. This year hasn’t been my finest. In fact, I’ve tried writing about this month after month and just couldn’t muster up the courage – until now. I even lost all inspiration for …
This is my extremely condensed reflection on my year, spanning across New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, and Canada. https://vimeo.com/115446247 It took me about five different tries to make the smallest-sized version of this. Videographer and editor, I am not! There were far more things I …
I never believed in the concept of love while growing up. While I'm of fourth-generation Japanese lineage, I was still raised with traditional Japanese customs. This meant little to no affection at all. As a result, I grew up completely shut off to anything that transcended an ordinary …
Continue Reading about How I Fell Out of Love with Someone to Fall in Love with the World
