I did not grow up traveling. Once, when I was 4, I went to Maine from Florida to meet my Mom’s family. Every year we went from Tampa to Orlando to Disney. When I was 10, I moved to Maine with my mom and sister. 

When I went away to college in Boston, I was fortunate to receive scholarships and financial aid which made it possible for me. Going to a private business school, it was expensive – more per year than I made my first year out of college.

Thus, studying abroad was actually less costly. I had never been out of the country, and in 2008 I circumnavigated the world by ship. Visiting 10 countries, Japan was my second to last.

15 years ago and I still have my blog. I loved every country, especially South Africa, but Japan was the only one I wrote I would feel comfortable living in.

So much has changed since then.

But two thing have remained – my relationship with Matt, that withstood months apart during that trip, and my love of adventure. To Japan I return, with my now husband.