Well the first week has been a bit of a blur with a bit of jet lag and a ton of sensory overload.  Tokyo was filled with weird vending machines everywhere selling everything from cold and hot beverages such as yogurt soda and hot canned coffee to tickets for ramen and other restaurant specialties.

Vending Machines Abound

We stumbled upon an agricultural fair on the grounds of the Meiji Shrine and it sure taught us how meticulous and strict the Japanese people are about their lives and especially their food.  Snacked on a Fuji apple as we looked around.

Although we visited the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, we saw and visited so many more shrines and temples in Kyoto. It is amazing how there can be thousand year old temples among modern new buildings right in the heart of the city.  The size, architectural detail, and intricacy in and around these buildings is mind blowing.

Golden Temple in Kyoto

Balance is the key to everything, especially when it comes to packing for a 5 month trip, and trick or treating on Halloween night before departing at 3:00 am, the next morning. After a night of handing out, and gathering candy, we wrapped up our packing, and a long day at around 9:45 pm. We were about to doze off in our last sleeps in our own beds, before 150 nights of Hostel beds, sleeping capsules, and caravan bunks. It was crazy to imagine that I wouldn’t be seeing any of those cold white flakes (or whatever that stuff is called) on the ground all winter long. Speaking of crazy feelings, even though I had sat through 13 plus hour flights before, it really sunk in that I was going to have to sit up right for 12 whole hours in a crammed, clammy seat. It was rough, but I managed to do it with 4 movies and a couple hours of sleep to distract me. Only a 1 hour Japan Railway train ride to go before a peaceful floor-sleep for me. During the train ride it was quiet, and I was alone with my mind. As I got thinking I realized how much I was going to miss my friends and the good times I have had with them. My friends and home will be missed for sure, and those thoughts would consume very much of my mind for a while to come. We had made it to Japan, which was a new country, and a new beginning in a new world.

Crazy salted fruit drink at a Tokyo Supermarket.

Shibuya Crossing: A crowded intersection filled with hundreds of people crossing in every direction