Rieko's Travel Blog "Dream Catcher" Self discovery trip "Understanding Myself" tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-05-18:/blog/?domain=miss-japan 2008-08-04T09:07:03Z miss-japan img/travel-blog-feed.png 14days in India tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-08-04:/blog/?domain=miss-japan&thisblog_entryid=17&entryid=122689 2008-08-04T09:07:03Z 2008-08-04T08:59:11Z Travelling alone, especially in India is VERY hard than I expected. I don't regret for comming to India. It was my little dream to go to backpacking by myself. So I am truly happy that I made it come true. for long time, I have wanted to do this for the first and last time. I just had to do it. but honestly I am so tired. mentally and physically. India (and NEPAL) really killed me,,,,LOL but made me strong at the ... Travelling alone, especially in India is VERY hard than I expected.

I don't regret for comming to India. It was my little dream to go to backpacking by myself. So I am truly happy that I made it come true.

for long time, I have wanted to do this for the first and last time. I just had to do it.

but honestly I am so tired. mentally and physically. India (and NEPAL) really killed me,,,,LOL
but made me strong at the same time.

In India
I went from Varnarashi, Butha Gaya, Darjiling, Koklata, Delhi, Agra and came back to Delhi.

My plan did change during the trip.
But it's alright.

It was only for 14days but I really felt India.
There are so many things that suprised me and shoked me. MANY MANY things made me so angry. I even got homesick for the first time during this trip. I even thought that I would NEVER NEVER EVER want to come back to India. I wanted to get out of India ASAP!! I thought about changing my airplane ticket. Sometimes india can be REAL HELL. LOL

But looking back, it was quite FUN CRAZY trip. I definetely I enjoyed it.

I truly experienced many things that I dont usually experience back home in NYC or JAPAN.
I saw it with my own eyes, I walked with my own foot and I felt it with all of my body.

It is so different from what you see on the TV or what it says in the BOOK. You just have to be there to understand.

Everything is Experience. All the experiences I have had become my confidence.

I now have travelled by myself. and I DID IT!.

Everything is turing into My CONFIDENCE.

Thats why. I can do anything! I am not afraid of anything!!!

I learn from experiences. Thats how I get strong. This is how I learn and GROW.

In few hours I will be flying to ROME then I will take train to PARIS.

PARIS : MY final distination of my SUMMER 2008 trip

I can't wait to find out what is waiting for me in Paris.

I am super excited<33333333333333333333 yayayya!

In paris I will be in contact with beautiful arts , the pretty things and the beauty! ^_^

At last,
TO MY MOM: Thank you for supporting my Dreams always.
and Thank you for making many dreams come true!!!!!

感謝。

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In India tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-07-29:/blog/?domain=miss-japan&thisblog_entryid=16&entryid=121751 2008-07-29T07:03:21Z 2008-07-29T07:03:21Z It has been 10days since I got here in India. so far I went to Varnarasi-Buddha Gaya-Dariling-Kolkata. India is crazy, i like it and i hate it at the same time, very hard to explain lol hahah I'm in Kolkata right now. this afternoon I leave for Delhi. I have 6 more days in India. I havent had the time to up load pictures but I will try when i get a chance in Delhi<333 write more later!! ... It has been 10days since I got here in India.
so far I went to Varnarasi-Buddha Gaya-Dariling-Kolkata.
India is crazy, i like it and i hate it at the same time,
very hard to explain lol hahah
I'm in Kolkata right now.
this afternoon I leave for Delhi. I have 6 more days in India.

I havent had the time to up load pictures but I will try when i get a chance in Delhi<333

write more later!!

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My Adventure Trip tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-07-18:/blog/?domain=miss-japan&thisblog_entryid=15&entryid=119894 2008-07-18T09:23:22Z 2008-07-18T09:16:03Z [img=http://www.tr ... rieko_064.jpg
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DAy 4. Day 5 tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-07-05:/blog/?domain=miss-japan&thisblog_entryid=14&entryid=117725 2008-07-06T05:49:04Z 2008-07-06T05:49:04Z Hope & Home mike, Jess, Me, mable ART In Nepal Strong Nepali man lol I FED MONKEY this is my hand! Hindu Temple [img=http://www.travellerspoint.com/photos/154210/IM ... IMG_8862.jpg
Hope & Home
mike, Jess, Me, mable
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ART In Nepal
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Strong Nepali man lol
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I FED MONKEY this is my hand!
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Hindu Temple
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kid swimming in the river
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Smart Nepali student
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jess and i
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@ dinner, we had yummy nepali food. we all ate with hand! lol
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butt naked boy lol
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Hope & Home Stuff.

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Kathmandu tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-06-30:/blog/?domain=miss-japan&thisblog_entryid=13&entryid=116639 2008-07-02T14:56:15Z 2008-07-02T14:56:15Z Doha airlines somewhere in middle east. tandori chicken ummm yummy [img=http: ... nepal_rt_001.jpg
Doha airlines
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somewhere in middle east.
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tandori chicken ummm yummy
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Peace pond. i threw coins in the basket and i made it in on my 2nd try.yaya my wish will come true!! yaya

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NAMASTE!!! tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-06-28:/blog/?domain=miss-japan&thisblog_entryid=12&entryid=116324 2008-06-28T13:52:35Z 2008-06-28T13:52:35Z Hiii im already here in Nepal i arrived here about 4:30pm. Im doing volunteering here for 2-3weeks. the organization called "Hope and Home" the language class and training starts tomorrow for fewdays. i am very excited. the staff and people here are very friendly and nice. i am working around the Thamel area which is a main tuorist street. lol i feel like im back in old day. i am looking for a super market. so i can buy bottole of water!! im gonna need ... Hiii
im already here in Nepal
i arrived here about 4:30pm. Im doing volunteering here for 2-3weeks. the organization called "Hope and Home"
the language class and training starts tomorrow for fewdays. i am very excited.
the staff and people here are very friendly and nice.

i am working around the Thamel area which is a main tuorist street. lol
i feel like im back in old day. i am looking for a super market. so i can buy bottole of water!! im gonna need it for brushing teeth too!!

so yeahh,,,i see many cows working around the street. there are also many crazy things happening on the street. peolpe are cutting raw chickens and beef on the street. lol
its very different from anyother places ive been to. its is pretty awesome.

I loveeee itttt

write more later

Rieko

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Bye Bye Frienze! tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-06-27:/blog/?domain=miss-japan&thisblog_entryid=11&entryid=116116 2008-06-27T08:09:16Z 2008-06-27T08:04:54Z Im taking the train to go to Rome in an hour then im leaving Rome tonight at 11pm to Nepal. all of my friends just left to go back to NYC i will miss them very much. Thank you Tohno, sohee Tara and Lauren. you guys are amazing. thanks for such a fun memorries. Time went by so fast, it has been 27days since i got here in Italy. this trip has been one of the gratest trip in my life. it ... Im taking the train to go to Rome in an hour then im leaving Rome tonight at 11pm to Nepal.
all of my friends just left to go back to NYC
i will miss them very much.
Thank you Tohno, sohee Tara and Lauren. you guys are amazing.
thanks for such a fun memorries.

Time went by so fast, it has been 27days since i got here in Italy.
this trip has been one of the gratest trip in my life. it is different than any other trip i have ever been on.
now i am old enough to go around all the places i want to go and im mature to understand things better. I feel the difference in the way i see things and the way i feel things.
I know it that this trip is meant to be!
i am really happy and Im super greatful for everything I see and feel,
especially everyone i meet and everthing im about to experience.

Another advanture begins today!

IM GOING TO NEPAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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ROME tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-06-23:/blog/?domain=miss-japan&thisblog_entryid=10&entryid=115515 2008-06-23T17:10:26Z 2008-06-23T17:05:52Z I just got back from ROME last night I am super tired from walking around whole 3 days straight in rome. but i happy that i got to see everything I wanted to see. on the first day when to Santa Maria Maggiore church,San Carlo alle Quatro Fontane shurch, trevi fountains, patheon, spanish steps. piazza Navona, Piazza Venezia, sanda maria in cosmedin shurch, foro romano, and around the colosseo. one street of ROME Piazza Na ... I just got back from ROME last night
I am super tired from walking around whole 3 days straight in rome.
but i happy that i got to see everything I wanted to see.
on the first day
when to Santa Maria Maggiore church,San Carlo alle Quatro Fontane shurch, trevi fountains, patheon, spanish steps. piazza Navona, Piazza Venezia, sanda maria in cosmedin shurch, foro romano, and around the colosseo.
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one street of ROME
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Piazza Navona. one of the fountain
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@ the Patheon
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inside the Patheon
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@Trevi fountain. i walso went at night time
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by the Spanish steps. me getting freewater, this water we can actually drink
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on the steps
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views from the steps
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my new awesome friends who im travelling with in Italy. Sohee and Tohno. i met them here. we all from FIT^^.
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@ Mon.a.Vitt Eman.II MUseo del Risorgimento
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"LOOK! colosseo in my hand!!!"
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I FOUND COOL BIRD, im facing the bird.
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me with the bird

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I FOUND ITTTT. he didnt eat my hand because im not a liar !!!
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@ the Santa Maria in Cosmedin
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night light @ San Pietro,
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@ PIazza san Pietro in night time.

On the 2nd day
we went to Vatican museum,SISTINE CHAPPEL!!!! inside the closseum, piazza San Pietro, Basilica di San Pietro, went up to the Cupora and inside the Duomo and went to Trevi fountain at night to see the night light.
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inside the Vatican museum
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Me in colossum
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my new nike shoes!!!
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@ San Pietro before i go inside
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view from the Cupora

On the 3rd day
i went to Santa Maria dela Vittoria church to see barberini's Ectacy of saint teresa, National gallery, santa maria sopra minerva church to see caravagios painting, Santa Angelo's Castle and San Francesco a ripa church to see Barberini's"Ludovica Albertoni".

I basicly saw everything!!! im so happy. im back in florence.
im leaving italy in 4 days to Nepal im super excited.

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Just got back from Milan tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-06-16:/blog/?domain=miss-japan&thisblog_entryid=9&entryid=114168 2008-06-16T19:36:48Z 2008-06-16T19:31:05Z Hi, i went to Milan for the weekend. this is my 2nd weekend in Italy. Milan is so different from Venice or florence. it is more like Newyork. i felt more comfortable and home. seemed alot easier to live there and venice or florence. its is like New York but with old buildings. but there people there were super stylish unlike Newyork lol they were so nicely dressed. i mean most of the poeple know what they look good on themselves. i visited mostly ... Hi, i went to Milan for the weekend. this is my 2nd weekend in Italy.
Milan is so different from Venice or florence. it is more like Newyork. i felt more comfortable and home. seemed alot easier to live there and venice or florence.
its is like New York but with old buildings.
but there people there were super stylish unlike Newyork lol
they were so nicely dressed. i mean most of the poeple know what they look good on themselves.

i visited mostly main places.
Duomo, the Galieria Vittorio Emanuele, Brera museum, Sforzesco Castle, Santa maria delle Grazie church, Ambrosiana museum, and the famous shopping street(Montenapoleone, spiga, sant'Andrea and so on)

unfortunally i couldn't see the "Last supper" by leonardo da vinci. i had to call in and make a reservation before hand but when i called it was already full :(
plus leonardo da vinci science museum was close under the construction.. SAD SAD SAD.

well. I'll go back there again in the future so no worries!!!

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Duomo in Milan
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Bird on my arm!! "ewwww " :p
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front of "Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II"
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little park in front of Scala.
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Cute Shopping Street of Milan
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@ subway station. its pretty clean, and fast.
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Food in Milan. we had Pizza Caprocciosa(everything pizza), Milano style Risotto, and Milano style cutret!?(pork).
they were all so yummyyy
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inside the Brea museum. there is art school on the first floor. it must be so nice have school in the museum and surrounded by all the art works.
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Street of Milan
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By the Castle!
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there is park beside the Castle, it is like Central park. there were many couple hanging out there and enjoy the wheather. I miss my Boyfriend :(
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Sky looked amazing :):):):):)
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it reminded of something i dont know what to called it tho lol
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Me with Michealangelo's last unfinished work. i also sketched this.
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Huge water fountain in front of the Castle! so pretty!!!

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in Florence tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-06-16:/blog/?domain=miss-japan&thisblog_entryid=8&entryid=114158 2008-06-16T18:50:38Z 2008-06-16T18:50:38Z It has been 16days since i got here in florence i have been many places. mostly museums and churches. such as Ufizzi museum, Baptistry,Santa maria Novella, Accademia, boboli Gardens, sta.Maria Carmina, Santo Sprito,Sta. Felicita, Duomo, and planing to visit more. florence is full of Art works. I am so grateful to have this oppotunities to be here and see all these. @ Boboli Gardens. Beautiful view from top of Boboli Gard ... It has been 16days since i got here in florence
i have been many places. mostly museums and churches.
such as Ufizzi museum, Baptistry,Santa maria Novella, Accademia, boboli Gardens, sta.Maria Carmina, Santo Sprito,Sta. Felicita, Duomo, and planing to visit more.
florence is full of Art works. I am so grateful to have this oppotunities to be here and see all these.

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@ Boboli Gardens.
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Beautiful view from top of Boboli Gardens
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YAYAY I FINALLY FOUND HIM LOL im happy to see him
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I saw the "David"!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wasnt supposed to take picture. but i got ittt<3 i stayed there and sketched it!!!!!! yayayaya

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Masacio's Tribute Money

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Hii from Venice tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-06-09:/blog/?domain=miss-japan&thisblog_entryid=6&entryid=113164 2008-06-12T13:29:02Z 2008-06-09T20:15:41Z Hello, I went to Venice over the weekend. the venice is such a pretty city but the city is so small and it's all walking distance. i was there only for 2 nights and 3 days i think i went to almost every part of the venice!! and i had nothing to do for last few hours lol hehe. at Fish Market. Very nice seafood in venice [img=http://www.travellerspoint.com/pho ... Hello, I went to Venice over the weekend.
the venice is such a pretty city but the city is so small and it's all walking distance. i was there only for 2 nights and 3 days i think i went to almost every part of the venice!! and i had nothing to do for last few hours lol
hehe.
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at Fish Market. Very nice seafood in venice
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SanMarco
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Seafood dish
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My feet by the water
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Smile cafè
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pinokio store<3 kawaii !
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my feet with SanMarco birdddddds
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Lunch
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Sketching by the water
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Gondora ride

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Hiiiii Im in Italy<3 tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-06-04:/blog/?domain=miss-japan&thisblog_entryid=5&entryid=112461 2008-06-04T16:26:56Z 2008-06-04T16:10:21Z hii, im already in Florence!!!! "Fiume Arno" (Arno River) "Ponte Vecchio" I touched his nose!! yaya PASTA,PASTA, PASTA, PIZZAAAA!!! CHEESE,CHEESE CHEESE,BREAD, BREAD, BREAD... Italian is good but i dont think i can eat them everyday. today ... hii, im already in Florence!!!!

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"Fiume Arno" (Arno River)
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"Ponte Vecchio"
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I touched his nose!! yaya
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PASTA,PASTA, PASTA, PIZZAAAA!!! CHEESE,CHEESE CHEESE,BREAD, BREAD, BREAD...
Italian is good but i dont think i can eat them everyday.
today is my 3rd day in Italy my japanese friend and i gave up already and ate chinese food last night LOL we missed rice = (
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"Duomo"
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views from up here was super amazing
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My feet in the air!!! lol

im at the internet cafe, i only have few mins left,,, i dont' have enough time to upload all of them

sorry = (

write more laterr

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I'm leaving today!!! tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-05-31:/blog/?domain=miss-japan&thisblog_entryid=3&entryid=111790 2008-05-31T16:04:18Z 2008-05-31T16:04:18Z I am all packed and ready to go!!!!! my backpack is super heavy!!!! but i'm strong i can carry it^^ bye America~ ... I am all packed and ready to go!!!!!

my backpack is super heavy!!!!
but i'm strong i can carry it^^

bye America~

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8 days till My big trip tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-05-24:/blog/?domain=miss-japan&thisblog_entryid=2&entryid=110666 2008-05-24T18:16:06Z 2008-05-24T18:14:16Z In 8 days, I will be in Italy! I can't believe it! It is so soon<333 I am excited for the trip but I have a feeling I will also miss New York. :( Especially, my amazing bf, my cute studio apartment, my awesome friends, my school and the gym where I always run n work out. I hope I won't get homesick while I'm there lol haha I love traveling but I also love where I live and where I grew up. I ... In 8 days, I will be in Italy!
I can't believe it! It is so soon<333

I am excited for the trip but I have a feeling I will also miss New York. :(

Especially, my amazing bf, my cute studio apartment, my awesome friends, my school and the gym where I always run n work out.
I hope I won't get homesick while I'm there lol haha
I love traveling but I also love where I live and where I grew up. I wish I can be all the places at the same time. I am such a greedy person lol hehe

so here are what i have been doing lately since I'm done with school. I'm really taking my time off and relax.
May, 17 th
Songyee, Ivanna and I @ Royal palace Spa Brooklyn
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the place is owned by Russian. The Russian sauna is intense. it was very hot compare to asian one.
http://RoyalPalaceNY.com/main.html

May,20th
Songyee and I @ Wall Street 5 K Run
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http://www.nyrr.org/races/2008/r0520x00.asp

it was a rainy day but about 13,000 people participate in the race!!!

it was awesomeeeeeeeee! I am so doing it again soon<3

Finish time 22:53
pace/Mile 7:37

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12 Days to My big Trip! tag:travellerspoint.com,2008-05-18:/blog/?domain=miss-japan&thisblog_entryid=1&entryid=109868 2008-05-19T07:04:14Z 2008-05-19T06:52:09Z Hi, this is my first entry! I am super excited! in 12 days... I will be leaving for a big trip. this trip is going to be a life changing experience. I want to write it as much as I can so I can share them with my supportive family and friends and of course for me to remember :) if i like it i might use this site as my daily blog<3 since I am from Japan and studying here in the ... Hi, this is my first entry!

I am super excited!
in 12 days... I will be leaving for a big trip. this trip is going to be a life changing experience. I want to write it as much as I can so I can share them with my supportive family and friends and of course for me to remember :)

if i like it i might use this site as my daily blog<3 since I am from Japan and studying here in the US may be count as traveling? lol

anyways ... This is my plan for this summer

May 31- June 28: 1 month Italy (Florence, Venice, Milan, and Napoli )

June 28th- July about 19th : 3 weeks (Nepal)

July 20th - Aug 4th 2 weeks (India)

Aug 4th-8th :4 days (Rome, Italy)

Aug 9th - 15th: 1 week (Paris, France)

My trip is mixture of school art program (Italy), volunteer program (Nepal) and solo backpacking(India, Rome, Paris).

I want this trip to be super special, I want to see it, feel it, hear it, smell it, taste it and walk it myself with my own body.

before all this, I want to thank my mom again for letting me have this opportunities. I am truly truly grateful to have loving, supportive and open-minded mother. THANK YOU. I LOVE YOU MOM. :)

このサイト、日本語は使えるみたい。ブログをどっちで書こうか迷ちゃうよ。
どっちもはちょっと、大変なのでその日の気分で変えていきます。
時間があればお母さんの為に訳くようにしよう。:)
でも、向こうに行ったら日本語ほとんど使えないんだろうな、、、。 ごめんね、おかあさん英語がんばって読んでね♪

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