Lovely and haunting.

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Where to begin?

I sure wasn’t wrong when I predicted adventures for 2017. Maybe they didn’t quite shape up to be the kind of adventures I’d expected, but they were god damn adventures.

I’ll start where I left off, and work my way there in time.

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Last time I talked into the void, I’d just left Korea. Next I hit Japan for the sixth time. My favourite place in the world - the only place that feels like home the second I hop off the plane.

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This trip wasn’t my best. Things felt strained with my husband, I felt like I was inconveniencing him by being there and it was pretty clear he didn’t enjoy my company anymore. That aside, I took some of my favourite photos ever. I explored on my own a little. I met up with my best friend and ate perfect trash pizza at Shakey’s. I ate an obscene amount of crepes. I bowed at the Deer. I saw the tiniest snowflakes fall.

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I wandered back streets of Harajuku. I did an amazing job of keeping up with my Japan crepe rule. See a crepe stand? Gotta buy a crepe. Even if I just bought a crepe. Or 4 crepes. As you can imagine if you've spent any time in Harajuku, Takeshita Dori is a delight for me. About 8 crepes down I meandered around, looking through windows and catching tiny glimpses into the lives of people I'd never see again.

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I spent half my time in Shinjuku, half in Kyoto. Shinjuku is second nature to me. Somehow, it was my very first time in Kyoto. Every morning I woke up to the chilly fresh about-to-snow-but-not-quite-yet air, wandered to the little cafe next door and had a slice of thick cut toast with an egg and some plasticky cheese melted on top. It was complete simple perfection.

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The next time I visit Japan it will be just for me. I can't foresee when it will be, but I can't wait.

-Em