From 2019 to 2024 I was living and working in Japan as an assistant English teacher (ALT) for the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) program. Those five years were the most difficult, emotional and amazing times of my life. I've never felt more at home than when I was in Japan, I got to travel and see places I never thought I would, I worked at some great schools with great students and teachers, and I met some of the greatest people who I can still call my friends, even if we're on opposite sides of the world.

Not everything was sunshine and rainbows, though, I was there during the COVID pandemic. And that was scary, going through a global pandemic so far away from my family. But I stayed, I worked so hard to get to Japan and I didn't want to give it up yet. And I'm so glad I did.

Despite some of the set backs, I still got to travel around the country and experience as much as I could. Living in Japan really influenced how I work, how I see myself and others and what I want my life to look like. I miss Japan everyday, and I hope I can go back one day. Until then, I have plenty of photos to look back and smile at. I hope they make you smile too.

Kyoto

Kyoto is one of the most popular places in Japan, for locals and for tourists. It actually used to be the capital of Japan until the beginning of the Meiji era in 1868 when it was moved to Tokyo. But is Kyoto worth the hype? Yes, yes it is. Kyoto was one of my favourite destinations, the first time I went was during fall, the pique season because of all the fall colours and the perfect weather. I also went in summer before I came back to Canada, which was lovely but way too hot!

Kyoto is a culturally rich city filled with famous shrines, UNESCO heritage sites, food, entertainment and shopping. Personally, I prefer it over Tokyo, It's a great mix of the natural and the city without feeling too overwhelmed. Take a look at some moments from Kyoto!

Kanazawa

Kanazawa is my favourite place in Japan. Any time anyone asks me "What was your favorite place in Japan?" I say Kanazawa no question. I went three different times and had the best time every visit. Kanazawa is a hidden gem, it's not on a lot of tourists'radars so it's not as crowded as Tokyo or Osaka. But it is brimming with culture, sights, festivals, food and so much more. It's famous for producing gold leaf, so much so that almost everything there is covered in gold, including the food! It's also famous for Taiko drumming, my favourite type of music. There's even a giant Taiko drum stand right outside the train station! 
Kanazawa is my home away from home, I miss it so much and treasure all these memories. I hope you enjoy looking through a few of my favourite moments.

Hokkaido

Going to Hokkaido was a very last minute trip. On Thursday during work my friend asked me if I wanted to come with him to see the dancing cranes. The next day we took the train down to Tokyo to stay the night, and by Saturday morning we were on a flight heading to Hokkaido. We stayed the weekend and spent most of our time at the Tsurui-Ito Sanctuary dedicated to protecting and teaching about Japanese cranes during their mating season, and offering areas for people to view them and take pictures. The 'dancing' refers to how the cranes communicate to each other during their mating season. They dance for each other to see who they want to fly off and mate with.
Seeing these gorgeous birds up close almost felt unreal, like I couldn't believe they were only a hundred feet away from me! Seeing them dance and take flight, it was worth facing the bitter cold of northern Japan. I didn't think I'd make it to Hokkaido while I was living in Japan, I'm so grateful to my friend for this spontaneous trip we took together. And in case you were wondering what cranes sound like, it's a cross between a beautiful song, and a screaming banshee. It's both beautiful and terrifying.

A little story to wrap this up, my friend and I took a flight on Sunday night to head home. We had to spend the night in Tokyo because it was too late to get any of the trains. So we got up at 5am on Monday to catch the early train so we could get to work on time. Needless to say, we didn't get much work done that day.

Hiroshima

I knew that visiting Hiroshima was going to be emotional, but I felt like it was a place I had to go see for myself. And I was right, it was very emotional, but it was also absolutely worth seeing. 
I went to the Peace Memorial Park to see the monuments and pay my respects. I also went to the museum in the park that pays tribute to the atomic bomb attack. The museum was difficult to get through, not gonna lie. There was no blame or fingers being pointed, just the honest facts about what happened and the aftermath. It was a very thoughtful and well put together exhibit, it was hard seeing the artifacts they had on display. I won't lie, I had to step away to cry on two occasions. But, I'm so glad I saw it. It's an important part of history that should never be forgotten, never be repeated, and should be remembered through the people who were victims. I'm so grateful for this experience, and I won't soon forget it.

Hiroshima is more than its history however, it's a beautiful coastal city with so much to explore. The famous Floating Torii gates are on an island just off the coast of Hiroshima. It's amazing to see in person as well as the Itsukushima shrine that the Torii gates protect. I would go back to Hiroshima in a heartbeat, it's a beautiful place that offers all kinds of experiences.

Osaka

Osaka was another last minute trip I took before I had to go back to Canada. Osaka is a fun place to go especially if you're a food lover. Dotonbori is a very famous street in Osaka filled with nothing but food vendors, restaurants, street food and little shops for you to enjoy to your heart's content. I had to be rolled down the street after I finished all my food.

Tochigi and More!

Here is my final collection of photos from Japan. Well, at least what I'm going to put on this blog. Trust me, I have plenty more pictures than this. But for this last section, I wanted to highlight the prefecture I was living in, as well as a few other places close by. I was living in Tochigi, you've probably never heard of it, but it's a little prefecture just north of Tokyo. It's famous for the Nikko-Toshogu shrine, the shrine that holds the famous wise monkeys. Tochigi is also famous for its milk, strawberries and gyoza, I ate so much gyoza while living here.
I got to meet some of my best friends while I lived in Tochigi, and got to visit some of the most beautiful places not many have heard of. I kinda love that not many people go to Tochigi, it means it's less crowded and there's more for us. But I also wish more people did know about it because it's so beautiful, and there's so much to see and do if you look hard enough. 
Thank you Tochigi, thank you for the festivals, the food, the people and for being my home for five years.

I also included some pictures of areas close to Tochigi that I want to share.

Going to Spain was a bit of a Christmas present. Once it was finally safe to travel after COVID, my mum and I decided to do a big trip together for Christmas. We decided to go to Barcelona and do a cruise to a few other countries. It was nice to get away and have a trip with my mum, Spain and Catalonia has been on her bucket list for a long time, and who am I to say no?
One of my favourite parts of Barcelona was seeing the art galleries and the architecture of the churches and buildings. As an art history student, it always feels a little surreal to me to see the paintings I'd studied in class up close in real life! So the Picasso museum was a touch overwhelming to say the least. 
We went to a few other cities as well, like Seville and Valencia. Touring around these cities was amazing. A little tip for your next trip, if you want a fun way to do a solo or family tour through a city, do a mobile scavenger hunt! It'll give you puzzles to solve and take you to all the highlights of the city. That's how I found the little door to the hotel for cats!
A little story before you take a look at the photos. I was trying to speak Catalan in Barcelona, but whenever I tried to say something that wasn't English, all that would come out was Japanese! I'd been practicing Japanese for so long, that's all I could say. The poor barista at the cafe was so confused. Still had fun though!

Casablanca was one of the stops on our Christmas cruise. To be honest, I only ever knew Casablanca from the movie, and I really thought it was a made up place. Little did I know it's very real, with beautiful mosques and fantastic cafes. We weren't able to stay very long because of the weather, but we were able to get all the highlights and, yes, see Rick's Cafe. 
I can't get over the architecture when looking through these photos, it's just outstanding!

Andorra was a last minute trip I wasn't even supposed to go on. I had booked a tour of  Montserrat for the day but it was canceled at the last minute. To make up for it, the tour company offered a different tour driving through parts of Spain, France and Andorra for the day. Well, I'm not gonna pass up an offer like that! What else was I gonna do? Stay in my hotel room all day? Not a chance.

We drove to a few quiet villages in Spain and France before making it to Andorra, it was honestly a very relaxing trip, very easy going and plenty of time to look around. Admittedly, I was so distracted by the hot spring foot baths and cafes I didn't take many pictures in France. But Andorra was something else. We drove past the Pyrenees Mountains before arriving, and spent the rest of the day touring. Not many people can say they've been to Andorra of all places, so I'm proud of my bragging rights on this one.

Before leaving Japan and coming back to Canada, I took a little trip to places in Japan I hadn't been to before. And while I was doing that, I also took a day trip to Busan, South Korea! I was only there for a day, but it was a beautiful day full of temple tours, history, food, shopping and plenty of pictures. I'm so happy I was able to squeeze this trip in before having to come back to Canada.