Rewind: Where We Were a Year Ago (Los Angeles)

Since we don’t want to write our final thoughts about the whole trip because that would signify the end of the blog, we’ve decided to start a new series of posts. We’ll take a look back at exactly where we were on this day last year and post a picture or two that haven’t been seen yet. This won’t be a daily post, but stuff will be posted when inspiration strikes. (Yes, we completely realize that today’s date doesn’t match up to the date our post about L.A. went up. We know where we were when!)

August 17, 2010
Los Angeles

Overlooking L.A.

So young, so innocent, so fresh-faced. We headed up to Griffith Observatory for the afternoon to catch the awesome views it affords. Though we were leaving for Tokyo the next morning, we had no concerns. Work was done, our apartment was successfully subletted, we paid all of our bills, and we had said our goodbyes to family and friends. We had the day to just enjoy and become excited for the trip ahead. (Freaking out about logistics for Tokyo started later that night.) This picture just makes us happy as it reminds us of the awesome trip that was ahead.

An Observatory Plaque That Made Us Chuckle Like Fourth Grade Boys.

Arrival in Tokyo

We made our way to LAX on Wednesday morning for our non-stop flight to Tokyo:

What an International Terminal SHOULD Look Like. JFK, Please Take Note.

Hanna originally thought that the flight was about 8 hours, but we realized it was actually 10.5 hours. We were dreading it a bit, but it really was not that bad. We lucked into bulkhead exit row seats and a half-full flight:

Note Mike’s Monkey Feet in the Free Slippers.

The first in-flight meal arrived: traditional Korean food. Let’s just say that Mike ate like a king, and Hanna had a bit of white rice. The second meal was chicken or pasta, so Hanna finally got to eat. The long flight flew by, and before we knew it, we landed in Tokyo.

Getting to our hostel was quite easy albeit a long train ride. While the hostel itself is tidy and the employees are very friendly, our private room is absolutely tiny. It fits bunk beds, and that’s about it. Good thing we only have forty liter backpacks!

Cramped Home for the Next Week.

We are staying in the Asakusa district of Tokyo. Seems like a fun neighborhood…we even saw a sumo wrestler walking the streets. After wandering around for a bit, we finally settled on a restaurant for dinner. It wasn’t easy, but if our hardest decision of the day is deciding on food, our lives aren’t that bad. Hanna had about 3 pieces of edamame and fried cheese roll-ups (?), while Mike had chicken skewers and a grilled rice ball. Definitely not a feast, but it was enough:

We Have Somehow Become Those People who Take Pictures of Food.

After a long day of travel, we struggled to stay awake as long as possible. We made it to 9:30pm..not too shabby.

Our Quick Day in L.A.

The most important thing you will read today is that we landed safely in Tokyo. Quit your worrying because we’re fine…just a little cramped in our hostel. We’re tired now, so more details about Tokyo will spew forth later.

Let’s backtrack to yesterday or the day before or the day before that…we aren’t quite sure what day or time it is. Anyway we had a super quick day in L.A. before we came to Tokyo. We met up with our friend Betina for lunch at The Grove (whoops, no pictures were taken), and then we went up to Griffith Observatory primarily to see the views that are featured in the opening credits of The Hills:

Truly Not That Big.

The Observatory.

After doing a few quick errands (which may or may not have included stops at In-N-Out and Sprinkles Cupcakes), we met up with our friends Susan and Alex for burgers, beer, and pull-your-own-frozen-yogurt…Hanna’s favorite.

Susan and Alex: we have a blog. Did you know that? It’s www.eightyliters.com. You should really check it out. Maybe some questions you have about our trip will be answered on the blog…

Last Picture of Us on American Soil for a Very Long Time

Background provided by Susan and Alex.  Many thanks for letting us stay with you during our last night in the States.  Many more thanks for the last hot shower we will have for a long time…

Goodbye, Good Ol’ U.S. of A.

We are flying from L.A. to Tokyo today and are feeling super anxious for some reason. We have all of our gear and each other, but we just feel out of sorts. It’s kinda like the first day of school: our stomachs are in knots, and we keep feeling like we are forgetting something. Traveling across the States for the past three weeks has just felt like a vacation, and it finally just hit us that this trip is real.

The blog will be quiet for the next few days as we settle into Tokyo, but we’ll post an update as soon as we have a chance. Here’s hoping our anti-malarials don’t get confiscated when we land!