go back to japan

There have been some amazing fares from Atlanta to Tokyo lately—we’re talking just over $500 round-trip, after taxes and fees. Sheesh, that’s good. But when I do go back to Japan, I’d like to be able to go for a couple weeks, and I’m just not able to take that time off from work right now, not when I’m in the middle of two huge projects. Also, Adam and I are trying to pay off his credit cards and save up for moving to New York within the year. Bopping around Japan just doesn’t fit within our budget right now. Those airfares are so good I could cry, though.

Adam and I drunkenly agreed the other night that we would fly into Osaka airport at this time next year and spend about three weeks exploring more of Kyoto and western Japan… and probably getting over to Tokyo to see friends.

The amazing thing was that we referred to it again, soberly, the next day, as if it is something we will actually do.

Adam and I were actually speaking of this in realistic terms while we were making dinner tonight—“Well, maybe if we come across one of those really good last-minute deals online, and if Kristy’s still there…” Oh, don’t tempt me like that! I had some excellent vegan sushi over the weekend (Sesame Tofu Nori Roll at Angelica’s in Boone, NC), but it made me crave a lunch of canned soy latte and 200-yen inari from the 7-11 in Kinshicho even more than I already was.

I want to knock my karaoke record out of the park and do TWELVE HOURS at the big Shidax in Shibuya.

I want to sit on Kayoko’s lovely heated hardwood floors and gossip about all the silly people we know in Tokyo.

I want to go to Muse, in Nishi-Azabu, on a night when it’s actually crowded.

I want to go to the deer park in Nara.

If I can’t make it to Hokkaido this time, I at least want to do a hiking trip in central Japan.

I want to go to onsen again and maybe stay in for more than thirty seconds without freaking out about the possibility of being boiled alive. Also, it’s a good way to get confident about prancing around naked. Ooh!