I really love my mom. By both educating me and leading by example, my mother has taught me so many valuable lessons that have helped me get through this thing called life. Right now I want to talk specifically about one of those things, which is the importance of showing gratitude.
I am thankful for everything that has ever been done for me. I was just telling Shahad's mom the other day about how appreciative I was for her buying me applesauce when she came to visit Shahad when we were roommates in college. Even though that was a relatively small gesture that happened over 16 years ago, I will never forget it. If a person has ever done anything for me, done anything for my family, or has done something for anyone else and I happened to have seen or heard about it, I will always remember it.
Robot Show
So we heard about this crazy Robot Show that Tokyo is pretty famous for. We decided to check it out. Let me tell you... it did not disappoint. It was literally the single most outrageous thing I have ever seen in my life. It was so over the top. See below...
Hakone
I had a lot of great experiences on this trip, but this part was by far my favorite. Hakone is a hot springs town in the countryside of Japan. A hot spring is literally hot water produced by the earth that people take baths in, normally found at the base of a volcano. This was seriously like the perfect place. If anyone read my book, I talk about my ideal living conditions. Almost 10 years later I found that place. We were deep up in the mountains. At the bottom of the mountain is a small town with shops and restaurants, with just enough resources needed to get by. As you go up the mountain, there are a bunch of traditional Japanese homes. Much like the town, the houses had everything that was needed, and nothing that wasn't. I was in such a great space there. Pictures below...
The grounds of the house are extremely traditional. There are beautiful citrus trees, all types of foliage, and extremely fresh air. There was also a stream running through it. What a place to be.
The service at this place was AMAZING. It was so good that it made me feel uncomfortable. I mean, I am just a man. I am not anyone special. While I want you to be nice to me, you don't have to be over the top with it. That is just how the people are though. They were not being nice to me in order to receive a tip. It is not customary to tip in Japan. They do it because that is who they are. That is part of their culture. They are very nice people who take pride in their work. I have the ultimate respect for the Japanese.
Some pictures of us in the house...
While at the hot spring, they brought dinner to our room. The woman who was serving us was so sweet. She spoke a little English, but was much more comfortable speaking Japanese. Luckily I had someone with me who knows the language...
Some pictures of the food...
I do not remember this woman's name (Abby does), but she was literally the best server ever. She was so nice, so attentive, she smiled, and she really took pride in what she did. She definitely went above and beyond the call of duty.
This guy right here... where do I start. This young man really made a huge impression on me. He did all of the dirty work around the hotel. We got there at 2:00 pm one day, and he was there working. I went outside at around 8:00 pm, and he was there working. I woke up and went outside at around 6:00 am, and I saw him working. We left at around 10:00 am, and he was still there working. Every time he saw me, he bowed like 5 times. Again, it really made me uncomfortable. I saw him carrying food, laundry, cleaning supplies, and doing everything else. He was working really hard. As we were leaving, I have him 1000 yen(ten dollars). He was extremely thankful. He immediately ran to the woman who operated the hotel to ask if he could accept it. She came to me to verify that I gave it to him, and I said yes. He was so happy. This is the thing though... when I left the hotel and was long gone, I realized I had messed up. I am never going to forget this kid for as long as live. I have a great memory, and I never forget anything. I feel like I should have given him 5000 or 10000 yen, because I never want him to forget how appreciative I was of his services. It really bothers me. And it's not like I can go back there tomorrow. Even if I mail it, who knows he may not work there anymore or something. I feel like I really missed out on an opportunity there.
Mt. Fuji
From Hakone we took a bus that went up another winding mountain into the hills of Japan, with hopes of catching a glimpse of Mt Fuji. Apparently seeing the mountain can be very tricky. If it is a cloudy day, you will not be able to see it. If there is volcanic activity in the area, you may not be able to get into a position close enough to see it. We decided to ride a rope way in an attempt to catch a glimpse. See the pictures below...
I am thankful for everything that has ever been done for me. I was just telling Shahad's mom the other day about how appreciative I was for her buying me applesauce when she came to visit Shahad when we were roommates in college. Even though that was a relatively small gesture that happened over 16 years ago, I will never forget it. If a person has ever done anything for me, done anything for my family, or has done something for anyone else and I happened to have seen or heard about it, I will always remember it.
When it comes to me battling cancer, I cannot begin to describe how thankful I am for all of the support I had. I am thankful for every text message, every email, and every dollar that was donated to my cause. The support I was given from everyone got me through the roughest time of my life. A big part of fighting cancer is the mindset of the patient. My mindset was positive(for the most part... I had my moments) due to all of the positive energy that I received by everyone who reached out to me.
Even though I am never going to be completely in the clear, I feel like I have beaten Stage IV cancer. Other than some slurred speech and numb toes, I feel like I am better and back to normal. With that being said, I feel like it is time for me to show my gratitude to all of the people that helped me get to this point. I still have every text message, email, and Facebook message that was sent me. I have a list of every donation that was made to me. I have the names of everyone who attended the Hoops for Hope event for me(Thanks Liz). It is my goal to personally do a little something for each and every one of those people to show my appreciation, no matter how long it takes.
There are though a few people that I want to do a little more for. Those people include my mom, my grandfather, my children and their families, Shannon, Toomey, Nevin, my brother and sister, and a few other people. I feel like those people went above and beyond for me, so I want to do something a little extra special for them. There is one person though, that I really wanted to go all out for.
...
Pictured above is Abby. Abby is my girlfriend, my silent partner, and everything else in the world to me. Yes she told me she did not want her picture on the internet... but I couldn't continue to tell this story any longer without including her in it. I am going to try to put into words what she has meant to me during this process, but while reading this please understand that whatever explanation I come up with will not do her justice.
First and foremost, even before cancer, I was so lucky for her to come into my life. I had ruined every relationship I had been in prior to meeting her. Yes, every shortcoming I had in relationships was all my fault. I either made promises that I couldn't keep, or I wouldn't be willing to do things to "take the next step" in the relationship that other people felt were necessary. I strung along relationships and hurt good people by trying to be someone that I wasn't in order to try to please them. I wasn't being true to myself and just couldn't keep it up anymore... ultimately causing all of those relationships to fail.
I will be the first to admit that I am a hard person to be with long term. I don't have relationship goals. I don't want to get married. I don't want to(and can't) have any more children. I am not religious. I don't want the house, the white picket fence, and the ideal American relationship.
I feel like in life each person walks on their own path. Every once in a while another person will come along and you both will be on the same path together. Some people may stay on your path for a short period of time, and others may stay on that path with you for a long period of time. In my relationships I don't want someone to feel pressured to walk with me because they are bound by a legal obligation, a child, or a huge financial commitment. I don't want to have a forced and/or false sense of security in my relationship. I want the other person to know that they can walk away at any time. I always want to be on edge. Knowing that the person walking with me can leave me at any time will force me to be a good man to them every single day if I want them to stay on my path... and vice versa. As time goes by, as long as we stay true to ourselves and continue to be happy, we will build relationship equity and will want to continue to walk on the same path together. Am I wrong? Maybe in other peoples eyes I am and I understand that... but that is what works for me.
With all of those things considered, Abby took me for who I was. I could be myself around her. I didn't feel any pressure to be this or that, or feel any pressure to do anything I didn't want to do. When we were together, we just wanted to be happy for the day. If that worked, we would try to be happy again the next day. It was pretty simple.
When I found out that I had cancer, Abby and I were in the early stages of our relationship. My mother was moving back to Allentown from Arizona. My mother and my grandfather would have taken great care of me. At that point I gave Abby the choice of leaving. She is very busy with her career and all of the other projects that she was involved in. She had a friend that died of cancer. She knew a couple that had their relationship torn apart because of cancer. I didn't want her to feel burdened to take care of me and have that potentially ruin any friendship that we could have had in the future... that's if I beat cancer of course.
Even with the option to leave and not having to worry about my issues, she stayed. She was all in. I remember going with her to my first doctors appointment after I was diagnosed. She pulled out this tablet and a pen, and went over a list of questions that she had prepared for the doctor. They went back and forth for a while, and she would write down whatever information she gathered into that little tablet.
From that moment on, I never had to do any talking at any of my appointments. I literally had 6 different doctors, and she knew what was going on with each and every one of them. She was able to cross reference information, provide my medication and doses, and answer any questions they had.
She never missed any of my doctors appointments. This woman has like 3 Google calendars that are color coated and always filled. They are the most complicated things that I have ever seen. Despite being so busy, she somehow managed to attend every single one of my appointments... and I had appointments every single day.
During my treatment and recovery, I know I was difficult to deal with. It was so hard. There were times when I was too weak to feed myself, and she fed me. There were times when I couldn't sleep, and she stayed awake with me. She literally dragged me out of the bed on multiple occasions when it was time for me to go to treatment or I needed to go to the hospital. She saved my life a few times. Nights and weeks and months went by where I made little to no progress, but she remained positive and made sure I did as well. I could go on and on and on about all of the things that she did for me. It was so much. It was everything. She didn't do it because I had promised her anything either. She did it unconditionally. She just wanted me to be alright. Knowing that meant the world to me.
Over time, all of her hard work paid off. I started drinking and eating. I regained my energy and began working out. I went into remission. I was cured! When I got better, I asked myself... "How could I possibly repay this woman?" She saved my life. There was really nothing I could do that could make up for what she did for me, but it was important for me to at least attempt to show my gratitude.
With my new focus being seeing and experiencing the world, I decided that I wanted to take her on a trip. With her schedule being what it is, it is hard for her to get away. I told her that it was important for me to have her create some availability. She began to look through those Google calendars and consult with her employer, and was able to secure some time off. I consulted with my employer, and was able to get the same time off as her.
We talked about going to Paris. Abby is actually French, and Paris is somewhere that she always wanted to visit. We also talked about going to Tokyo. She loves the city, had worked there for a long time, and said returning would be the trip of a lifetime. She ruled it out though, stating that it would be extremely difficult to put together. After that conversation, I could tell that Tokyo is where she really wanted to go. From that moment on, in my mind it was Tokyo or bust. There would be no better way for me to show my gratitude towards her for saving my life... other than by giving her the trip of a lifetime.
During the next few weeks I searched and searched and searched the internet for packages to Tokyo. After weeks of searching, I finally found a deal that worked for me. It was a Friday. I remember calling her into the kitchen. She knew I had been actively looking for a trip, but she thought it was going to be for us to go to Paris. To her surprise, on my computer screen was a package set for Tokyo. She looked it over and gave me the go ahead. I booked it. We were going to Japan.
...
After I booked the trip, Abby immediately started planning. I mean we literally went to get something to eat, got back to the house, and she got right on her laptop and started creating an itinerary. From that day until about a week before we left for the trip, Abby worked on this itinerary. When all was said and done, a 93 page document was created. Yes, ninety-three pages. There is a .PDF version as well as a printed out version. See below...
Now I am not going to provide a full breakdown of our entire 93 page itinerary, but I will provide a thorough recap of what was an amazing experience.
This woman was a wizard when it came to the transit system. We didn't have one issue getting anywhere. It helped that she lived there for so long, and can read and write Japanese...
Hotel
Our hotel was great. The people were nice, the place was clean, and it was in a great location. I definitely recommend it to anyone who is staying in Tokyo.
Pictured below is the sink in the bathroom. If you moved the spout to the right, the water fell into the sink. If you moved the spout to the left, it filled up the tub. If you moved the lever on the right up, the water came out of the shower. If you moved that same lever down, the water came out of the spout. The lever on the left controlled the water temperature. Great concept if you ask me.
Below is the headboard of the bed. As you can see, built into it are the light controls for various functions. You don't have to get out of the bed to turn those things on or off. Again, very practical.
Cityscapes
One of the first things I noticed about Tokyo was how clean it is. From the subway to the streets, there was no litter or garbage in site. It even smelled clean. You could tell that the Japanese people really took pride in keeping the city clean. One of the things I also liked was how there were so many green spaces. It was like there was a perfect balance between city and greenery. Below are a few pictures of the city. Again, these pictures cannot fully capture the essence of the city, but I tried....
Tokyo Tower
Tokyo is a true Metropolis. It has over 33 million people. We went to multiple areas, and they all felt like what would be a Times Square or a center city somewhere else. It was really unbelievable. To try to put the city into perspective, Abby decided that we should go to Tokyo Tower on our first night. Tokyo Tower is an observatory, and the second tallest structure in Tokyo. Here are some pictures...
In some of the pictures I took I was wearing shirts specifically pertaining to the Allentown/Lehigh Valley area. I thought it would be important for others to see me in t-shirts that they also own, in places that are far, far, away. The point is for them to understand that they too can go wherever they want to go in this world. This specific shirt is from the basketball program "6way." The symbol represents the 610 area code. This organization is founded/run by Darrun Hilliard and Jonafer McDonald. They sponsor a variety of basketball teams, giving children a place to learn the game while also developing life skills along the way. Good people and class organization.
This view is from the middle of the tower. There are 360 degree panoramic views from the observatory. The city is endless. It is as far as the eye can see. It really put things in perspective for me. We didn't even need to go to the top.
Sanja Matsuri Festival
The pictures/videos below are from what is called the "Sanja Matsuri" festival. The atmosphere at this place was electric. Gangs or "Yakuza" carry around and literally fight over portable shrines in the town streets. It is believed that the jolting of the shrines increases the power of the deities mounted on the portable shrines.
Here I am wearing an LVBR Beast's t-shirt. LVBR is another basketball organization run by my friend Toomey. The Beast logo is a moving company owned by my friend Jules Johnson. Toomey has done so much for children and for basketball in the Lehigh Valley. While Toomey did not make the NBA like Darrun of 6X, it is important to understand that you can still make a difference and should still be considered a role model for your work creating opportunities for others. Keep up the good work Toom.
That is me at Shibuya Crossing. It is arguably the most famous and busiest crosswalk in the world. I am wearing a SCBL jersey from a basketball league ran by my friend Ed Jennings. Again, Ed is a person doing something positive for the community. He created an environment for kids to come and play basketball. Ed regularly has community leaders come speak to the kids, giving them inspiring and motivational lectures from people who were once in their shoes. Awesome.
There are though a few people that I want to do a little more for. Those people include my mom, my grandfather, my children and their families, Shannon, Toomey, Nevin, my brother and sister, and a few other people. I feel like those people went above and beyond for me, so I want to do something a little extra special for them. There is one person though, that I really wanted to go all out for.
...
Pictured above is Abby. Abby is my girlfriend, my silent partner, and everything else in the world to me. Yes she told me she did not want her picture on the internet... but I couldn't continue to tell this story any longer without including her in it. I am going to try to put into words what she has meant to me during this process, but while reading this please understand that whatever explanation I come up with will not do her justice.
First and foremost, even before cancer, I was so lucky for her to come into my life. I had ruined every relationship I had been in prior to meeting her. Yes, every shortcoming I had in relationships was all my fault. I either made promises that I couldn't keep, or I wouldn't be willing to do things to "take the next step" in the relationship that other people felt were necessary. I strung along relationships and hurt good people by trying to be someone that I wasn't in order to try to please them. I wasn't being true to myself and just couldn't keep it up anymore... ultimately causing all of those relationships to fail.
I will be the first to admit that I am a hard person to be with long term. I don't have relationship goals. I don't want to get married. I don't want to(and can't) have any more children. I am not religious. I don't want the house, the white picket fence, and the ideal American relationship.
I feel like in life each person walks on their own path. Every once in a while another person will come along and you both will be on the same path together. Some people may stay on your path for a short period of time, and others may stay on that path with you for a long period of time. In my relationships I don't want someone to feel pressured to walk with me because they are bound by a legal obligation, a child, or a huge financial commitment. I don't want to have a forced and/or false sense of security in my relationship. I want the other person to know that they can walk away at any time. I always want to be on edge. Knowing that the person walking with me can leave me at any time will force me to be a good man to them every single day if I want them to stay on my path... and vice versa. As time goes by, as long as we stay true to ourselves and continue to be happy, we will build relationship equity and will want to continue to walk on the same path together. Am I wrong? Maybe in other peoples eyes I am and I understand that... but that is what works for me.
With all of those things considered, Abby took me for who I was. I could be myself around her. I didn't feel any pressure to be this or that, or feel any pressure to do anything I didn't want to do. When we were together, we just wanted to be happy for the day. If that worked, we would try to be happy again the next day. It was pretty simple.
When I found out that I had cancer, Abby and I were in the early stages of our relationship. My mother was moving back to Allentown from Arizona. My mother and my grandfather would have taken great care of me. At that point I gave Abby the choice of leaving. She is very busy with her career and all of the other projects that she was involved in. She had a friend that died of cancer. She knew a couple that had their relationship torn apart because of cancer. I didn't want her to feel burdened to take care of me and have that potentially ruin any friendship that we could have had in the future... that's if I beat cancer of course.
Even with the option to leave and not having to worry about my issues, she stayed. She was all in. I remember going with her to my first doctors appointment after I was diagnosed. She pulled out this tablet and a pen, and went over a list of questions that she had prepared for the doctor. They went back and forth for a while, and she would write down whatever information she gathered into that little tablet.
From that moment on, I never had to do any talking at any of my appointments. I literally had 6 different doctors, and she knew what was going on with each and every one of them. She was able to cross reference information, provide my medication and doses, and answer any questions they had.
She never missed any of my doctors appointments. This woman has like 3 Google calendars that are color coated and always filled. They are the most complicated things that I have ever seen. Despite being so busy, she somehow managed to attend every single one of my appointments... and I had appointments every single day.
During my treatment and recovery, I know I was difficult to deal with. It was so hard. There were times when I was too weak to feed myself, and she fed me. There were times when I couldn't sleep, and she stayed awake with me. She literally dragged me out of the bed on multiple occasions when it was time for me to go to treatment or I needed to go to the hospital. She saved my life a few times. Nights and weeks and months went by where I made little to no progress, but she remained positive and made sure I did as well. I could go on and on and on about all of the things that she did for me. It was so much. It was everything. She didn't do it because I had promised her anything either. She did it unconditionally. She just wanted me to be alright. Knowing that meant the world to me.
Over time, all of her hard work paid off. I started drinking and eating. I regained my energy and began working out. I went into remission. I was cured! When I got better, I asked myself... "How could I possibly repay this woman?" She saved my life. There was really nothing I could do that could make up for what she did for me, but it was important for me to at least attempt to show my gratitude.
With my new focus being seeing and experiencing the world, I decided that I wanted to take her on a trip. With her schedule being what it is, it is hard for her to get away. I told her that it was important for me to have her create some availability. She began to look through those Google calendars and consult with her employer, and was able to secure some time off. I consulted with my employer, and was able to get the same time off as her.
We talked about going to Paris. Abby is actually French, and Paris is somewhere that she always wanted to visit. We also talked about going to Tokyo. She loves the city, had worked there for a long time, and said returning would be the trip of a lifetime. She ruled it out though, stating that it would be extremely difficult to put together. After that conversation, I could tell that Tokyo is where she really wanted to go. From that moment on, in my mind it was Tokyo or bust. There would be no better way for me to show my gratitude towards her for saving my life... other than by giving her the trip of a lifetime.
During the next few weeks I searched and searched and searched the internet for packages to Tokyo. After weeks of searching, I finally found a deal that worked for me. It was a Friday. I remember calling her into the kitchen. She knew I had been actively looking for a trip, but she thought it was going to be for us to go to Paris. To her surprise, on my computer screen was a package set for Tokyo. She looked it over and gave me the go ahead. I booked it. We were going to Japan.
...
After I booked the trip, Abby immediately started planning. I mean we literally went to get something to eat, got back to the house, and she got right on her laptop and started creating an itinerary. From that day until about a week before we left for the trip, Abby worked on this itinerary. When all was said and done, a 93 page document was created. Yes, ninety-three pages. There is a .PDF version as well as a printed out version. See below...
Look at the left hand corner up above
This is a page of the printed out version
...
Now I am not going to provide a full breakdown of our entire 93 page itinerary, but I will provide a thorough recap of what was an amazing experience.
She was excited
I was happy too
Pictured above is Japanese Yen. You place a decimal point two places from the right in order to figure out the dollar amount. The bill shown above is a 100 dollar bill.
Flight information
Reading material... HMMMM...
Airplane food
View of Alaska from the plane window
ZZZZZZZZZ
...
After the 14 hour flight, we made it!
This woman was a wizard when it came to the transit system. We didn't have one issue getting anywhere. It helped that she lived there for so long, and can read and write Japanese...
Hotel
Our hotel was great. The people were nice, the place was clean, and it was in a great location. I definitely recommend it to anyone who is staying in Tokyo.
The technology in the room was so simple, yet so practical. In order to use anything, you had to put the room key in this slot(see below). If the key was not in the slot, the lights or the electricity would not work.
Below are the toilet controls. I didn't even try to figure those out.
Below is the headboard of the bed. As you can see, built into it are the light controls for various functions. You don't have to get out of the bed to turn those things on or off. Again, very practical.
Below is the top of the headboard. You can charge your phone right from the bed.
One of the first things I noticed about Tokyo was how clean it is. From the subway to the streets, there was no litter or garbage in site. It even smelled clean. You could tell that the Japanese people really took pride in keeping the city clean. One of the things I also liked was how there were so many green spaces. It was like there was a perfect balance between city and greenery. Below are a few pictures of the city. Again, these pictures cannot fully capture the essence of the city, but I tried....
Tokyo Tower
Tokyo is a true Metropolis. It has over 33 million people. We went to multiple areas, and they all felt like what would be a Times Square or a center city somewhere else. It was really unbelievable. To try to put the city into perspective, Abby decided that we should go to Tokyo Tower on our first night. Tokyo Tower is an observatory, and the second tallest structure in Tokyo. Here are some pictures...
In some of the pictures I took I was wearing shirts specifically pertaining to the Allentown/Lehigh Valley area. I thought it would be important for others to see me in t-shirts that they also own, in places that are far, far, away. The point is for them to understand that they too can go wherever they want to go in this world. This specific shirt is from the basketball program "6way." The symbol represents the 610 area code. This organization is founded/run by Darrun Hilliard and Jonafer McDonald. They sponsor a variety of basketball teams, giving children a place to learn the game while also developing life skills along the way. Good people and class organization.
Sanja Matsuri Festival
The pictures/videos below are from what is called the "Sanja Matsuri" festival. The atmosphere at this place was electric. Gangs or "Yakuza" carry around and literally fight over portable shrines in the town streets. It is believed that the jolting of the shrines increases the power of the deities mounted on the portable shrines.
This was the crowd at 8:00 am. The streets were literally filled. This is a very big deal for them.
I don't know what this thing was, but it had the juice.
Above are Yakuza wearing their garments
A picture of the portable shrine
Temple
I didn't try the octopus balls
Here I am wearing an LVBR Beast's t-shirt. LVBR is another basketball organization run by my friend Toomey. The Beast logo is a moving company owned by my friend Jules Johnson. Toomey has done so much for children and for basketball in the Lehigh Valley. While Toomey did not make the NBA like Darrun of 6X, it is important to understand that you can still make a difference and should still be considered a role model for your work creating opportunities for others. Keep up the good work Toom.
That is a shoe
Where's Waldo... or Wally as they call him.
That is the inside of the Temple. You can look, but not go in.
Before you give a coin donation, it is customary that you wash your hands.
There was a huge market, and vendors everywhere
Above is a video of the Yakuza carrying the portable shrine. If you don't want to watch the whole thing, you can skim through to see how close I got to the action.
Check this guy out. I was not messing with him.
...
Baseball Game
Another activity I wanted to experience was a baseball game in Japan. We got tickets to a Tokyo Giants baseball game. I have been to a lot of sporting events in my life, but never was in an atmosphere quite like this. From the first pitch on, the fans were chanting these chants that everyone knew. Everyone was so into the game, even though it was just a random regular season match up. Some pictures are below...
Pictures outside of the Tokyo Dome
Inside
A video of the atmosphere...
I made the food bag work... lol
Sumo
Keeping up with the sports theme, I wanted to experience a more traditional Japanese sport. Well there is nothing better than a sumo match for that. Here are some pictures below...
We got our tickets in advance
One thing I realized about sumo is that it is as much a ceremony as it is a sport. It was a great atmosphere and very interesting experience. The top wrestlers are treated like royalty there, much like our athletes are treated in America.
Random Pictures
Another toilet remote control
Subway
Do you see it?
If you see my son with a BAPE hat on, it is real
For my daughter
Koi fish. Koi is a nice name
That is a bicycle path on the left. There were bicycles everywhere
That is me at Shibuya Crossing. It is arguably the most famous and busiest crosswalk in the world. I am wearing a SCBL jersey from a basketball league ran by my friend Ed Jennings. Again, Ed is a person doing something positive for the community. He created an environment for kids to come and play basketball. Ed regularly has community leaders come speak to the kids, giving them inspiring and motivational lectures from people who were once in their shoes. Awesome.
I tired, but I struggled with the food. It just wasn't for me.
She loved the food.
...
Sleepers
One thing I realized very early on, is that Japanese people will sleep anywhere. I thought it was funny. I decided to play a game that I called "Selfies with Sleepers." See below...
One thing I realized very early on, is that Japanese people will sleep anywhere. I thought it was funny. I decided to play a game that I called "Selfies with Sleepers." See below...
Yea... I got caught slipping too...
Robot Show
So we heard about this crazy Robot Show that Tokyo is pretty famous for. We decided to check it out. Let me tell you... it did not disappoint. It was literally the single most outrageous thing I have ever seen in my life. It was so over the top. See below...
The decorations for this place were as crazy as the show
Let me show you how excited I was to see the show...
The show definitely woke me up! You will not be disappointed if you watch this entire video. The show never lets up.
Hakone
I had a lot of great experiences on this trip, but this part was by far my favorite. Hakone is a hot springs town in the countryside of Japan. A hot spring is literally hot water produced by the earth that people take baths in, normally found at the base of a volcano. This was seriously like the perfect place. If anyone read my book, I talk about my ideal living conditions. Almost 10 years later I found that place. We were deep up in the mountains. At the bottom of the mountain is a small town with shops and restaurants, with just enough resources needed to get by. As you go up the mountain, there are a bunch of traditional Japanese homes. Much like the town, the houses had everything that was needed, and nothing that wasn't. I was in such a great space there. Pictures below...
I told you... EVERYTHING I needed
You walk up this hill along the river with the waterfalls to get to the house. I wouldn't mind taking that walk every day.
The grounds of the house are extremely traditional. There are beautiful citrus trees, all types of foliage, and extremely fresh air. There was also a stream running through it. What a place to be.
The inside is just as beautiful
Below is a picture of the hot spring. I have never felt more relaxed than after taking a bath in there
I liked the place so much that I decided to make my own little version of "Cribs." See below...
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Some pictures of us in the house...
While at the hot spring, they brought dinner to our room. The woman who was serving us was so sweet. She spoke a little English, but was much more comfortable speaking Japanese. Luckily I had someone with me who knows the language...
Some pictures of the food...
The food actually wasn't half bad.
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The combination of the food and the hot spring was just too much for me. I had never been more relaxed in my life. See below...
I really wanted to talk about the people who served us at the hot spring. I have never had better service anywhere in the world.
I do not remember this woman's name (Abby does), but she was literally the best server ever. She was so nice, so attentive, she smiled, and she really took pride in what she did. She definitely went above and beyond the call of duty.
Mt. Fuji
From Hakone we took a bus that went up another winding mountain into the hills of Japan, with hopes of catching a glimpse of Mt Fuji. Apparently seeing the mountain can be very tricky. If it is a cloudy day, you will not be able to see it. If there is volcanic activity in the area, you may not be able to get into a position close enough to see it. We decided to ride a rope way in an attempt to catch a glimpse. See the pictures below...
Not a good sign
We went for it anyway
That is the "vehicle" we rode up in that was hopefully going to get us a glimpse of the mountain.
That is smoke coming out of the ground from the volcanic activity
Success!!!
Above is a picture of me wearing a "Nites" t-shirt, which is a basketball team that is sponsored my my friend Shannon. A lot of people may not know this, by I actually came up with the name. The name is the nickname of our other best friend Tramell who is on a different kind of vacation right now. He will be back soon, hopefully anyway. I took from Allentown all the way to Mt. Fuji. Crazy.
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I had other experiences in Tokyo like being in an earthquake, seeing people leave the club at 8:00 am, and having a magical umbrella fall out of the sky basically into my hands just as it started to rain... among many others. I think I posted enough for now though. Maybe if I had help with production(Travel Channel, National Geographic, PBS, Revolt TV, etc... are you listening???) I could do even more. I do want to talk about one more experience that I had on the trip though.
The second to last night that we were in Tokyo, Abby and I went out to dinner. I was looking down at my chicken, struggling to break it into small enough pieces for me to eat. When I looked up, I noticed that Abby was crying. I thought we were having a great trip up until that point. Abby never cries. She is so emotionally strong and mentally tough. I had no idea what was wrong, and wasn't quite sure what to do. When I asked her what was wrong, she looked at me and said... "I am glad you didn't die."
Even before that moment, Abby never had to do anything else for me in life ever again. She had already saved my life. I told her so many times that if she ever decided to walk out of my life, that I would still be extremely thankful for everything that she had done for me and for the time we had spent together. She never wanted anything in return for taking care of me. She loved me unconditionally. I could have taken her to Wegman's and she would have still been happy. She didn't care that I didn't want kids. She didn't care that I didn't want the white picket fence, want to get married, or want to live the American dream. She just wanted me... and me for exactly who I was. Understanding that meant everything to me, as does she. I am one lucky man. I am glad she allowed me to attempt to show my gratitude, even though no gesture I can come up with will ever be enough.
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As for recapping my time in Japan... I really loved it. The Japanese people are really good people. They have extreme pride in everything they do. They work really hard, they respect their land, and they take care of their own. The Japanese people care more about their people as a whole... much more than the pursuit of individual goals. I wish we had more of that here.
As far as me traveling... I am just getting started. These trips are just as much history lessons as they are vacations to me. I love learning about other cultures. I love seeing how other people live life and what is normal to them. I love applying the positive aspects of other peoples way of living into my own. I am living my dream. I am living how I want to live, and I am not going to stop. And like I said before... if you want to travel with me, the offer still stands. Let's talk about it. Let's go.
Until the next time and the next destination... talk to you soon.
-Kyle
