Thirty in Tokyo
So two months ago I turned 30.
Thirty.
THIRTY!
To say I was thrilled would be a lie. I believe I'm a typical young women. Job - Check, husband - Check, a living thing that I solely care for - Check Check. But I don't know, thirty?! Shouldn't my life be together?! I keep putting off all the finishing touches that would make me feel in control, organized, like I'm actually headed in the right direction. My current life is a lot like my house. I own all my furniture, but I don't own any curtains.
And don't get me wrong, I'm sure 5 years from now I'll be like "what was I being ridiculous for, 30 was nothing. " Well hindsight is always 20/20 so whatever future me, I'm freaked out and I don't care about your judgment.
So what does a women do when she turns 30? She decides that this is her last chance to do something wild and needs to be far away from her current life to feel like she has gotten somewhere. Turn 30, gather your friends of similar age and run away to the furthest destination that your bank account will allow while still being able to pay your students loans.
Well all my best friends are on the other side of the world and the lovely ladies that I have met here have responsibilities. Real living, breathing, can't put in a kennel responsibilites. Thank goodness I'm one lucky lady with a man who would not let my 30th birthday slide by with some cake and a hefty bowl of ramen.
Now I'm being selfish here. I would get in trouble if I didn't mention that my birthday and our wedding anniversary fall on the same weekend. Wade and I have had an amazing 5 years. We have grown quite a bit, both personally and together. I love him more every single day. So this trip had a dual purpose. Wade and I promised each other that we would go somewhere new every anniversary and so far we have kept that promise.
5 years of marriage. I'm turning fracking 30. Let's go to Toyko!
Parks and Shrines
Tokyo is HUGE. Duh, no news there. What I was so surprised about is how expansive their parks are. Just as there are cityscapes with buildings and people as far as the eye can see, there are parks with swirls of trails, ponds and trees.
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
The greenhouse inside Gyoen Garden Wade taking a break while I was taking some photos.
Shinjuku Gyoen National Park
Meji Shrine, located inside Yoyogi Koen Park
Handwashing at the entrance
Ema tablets with handwritten prayers for the gods
Meji Shrine
Food and Drink
If we weren't walking the bustling streets or strolling though the parks we were eating and drinking. Our favorite spots were the tiny alleyways that full of closet sized resturaunts or bars. These little hole in the wall places are perfect for striking up conversations with locals and travelers alike. Our best travel stories are usually about great interactions with the people we meet.
Wades new favorite bar - heavy metal/horror movie themed bar located in Golden Gai district.
Our hotel Sky Bar Tsukiji fish market
Tsukiji fish market street food
We felt jipped from the Imperial Palace visit, but found this beer festival around the corner. Shinjuku's restaurant district was two blocks from our hotel.
The Japanese call it Omoide Yokocho ( memory lane), everyone else calls it Piss Alley. Rows of delicious yakatori. We tried chicken heart and liver, along with some safe bets of chicken breast and bacon wrapped okra.
The sea of buildings and people
What got to me the most in our four day visit was the massive amount of people. I think spending the first few days of 30 in a huge city put some of my worries in perspective. I may not have all the little things in place and my living room may need curtains but I have the big pieces covered and the details are fun to discover as you go.
Whoa...
Sunset from the top of Tokyo Govenment building.
