We spent a full day in Osaka recently, and it did not disappoint.

Our first stop was Shitennoji to pay our respects to Mariko’s late grandparents and father. It’s a massive temple complex, and we happened to visit on a flea market day, so the grounds were super crowded. Rows of old dishes, trinkets, and who-knows-what stretched across the courtyard. Mariko and Bay came away with some new dishware. I browsed through boxes of old watches but didn’t find any treasures. It was mostly junk.

From there we wandered over to the Kuromon area for lunch and a little exploring. I did score a new stamp for my collection book, which was one of the highlights of my day.

We wrapped things up with more shopping in Namba before meeting Mariko’s mom for yakiniku dinner. The food was great, and by the end of it we were thoroughly full and thoroughly happy. A good Osaka day by any measure!

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Day two of my journey to Japan was blissfully uneventful compared to day one. My United flight was comfortable, the food kept coming, and yes, there was complimentary wine, which certainly helped set the mood. I read quite a bit, did some journaling in my Hobonichi, and watched a couple episodes of Frieren. Not a bad way to spend a long flight across the Pacific.

Landing at Haneda was a breeze. I made it through immigration quickly and headed off to catch my flight to Kansai International Airport. That flight was delayed about 20 minutes thanks to a snowstorm sweeping across much of the country. Still, I was very happy to arrive today instead of tomorrow, when the weather is supposed to be even wilder. Better or worse depending on how much you love snow, right?

Once in Osaka, I sent my big suitcase ahead to our house in Tatsuno and began the long train journey west. It was a little confusing since Google Maps was not completely accurate with the train line names, but I managed. What I loved most was tapping through the ticket gates with my Apple Wallet. No paper tickets, nor fumbling at the machines with cash! So smooth. I have not been to Japan in ten years, and it is really neat how much has changed.

At Himeji Station, Mariko and Bay picked me up in their rental car, and we made the final drive to our house in Tatsuno. It was past 11 pm by the time we arrived, but I still managed a few pieces of sushi before slipping into the ofuro for a quick soak. Then it was straight to bed.

After two very long days of travel, it felt like the perfect ending. Japan, at last!

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Today was day one of my journey to Japan. With the 15 hour time difference, this little adventure will stretch across two full days. It all started at 4:00 am so I could make my 6:30 am flight to LAX. Coffee was definitely required. I actually wanted to celebrate with a glass of bubbly at the lounge, but the bar didn’t open until 7 am. Oh well.

The plan was simple enough: LAX to Haneda, then a quick hop over to Itami. Easy, right? Not quite. My flight out of LAX was delayed, and just like that I was automatically rebooked for the next day. Not exactly the plot twist I was hoping for.

So I made my way to the American Airlines lounge at LAX, where a very kind and capable agent worked her magic. She managed to get me on a United flight leaving just two hours later. Crisis averted! Well, mostly. The only catch was that my connection from Haneda would now take me to Kansai instead of Itami. At that point, though, I was just happy to be moving in the right direction and end up in Japan.

Here’s hoping the rest of the journey is smooth sailing. Japan, I’m on my way! Woohoo!

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I’m all packed and ready to go to Japan! It’s hard to believe that I’m finally going to visit our house there. If you didn’t know, we bought a home in Hyogo prefecture, and the renovation work has just been completed. It still hasn’t fully sunk in that we actually own a house in Japan. Honestly, it feels like a dream come true

I’m traveling with a full suitcase and a carry-on. The carry-on is carefully packed with dishes and pottery, while the checked bag is filled with tortillas, salsa, Mexican spices, and some Austin beer We’re planning a small party at our house for the craftspeople who worked on the renovation, and it feels really special to be able to share a little taste of home with them.

I can’t wait to finally see everything in person and celebrate this moment. It’s going to be such a fun and meaningful trip

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Today was a very long travel day. It started with a 4 am wake-up call in our Cairo hotel room and didn’t end until we finally walked through our front door in Texas around 11:30 pm. If my math is right, that’s a 27.5 hour journey once you factor in the eight hour time difference.

We’re happy to be home and grateful to sleep in our own bed tonight, but we’re already missing the magic of our trip to Egypt.

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Today was yet another highlight of our trip to Egypt. It really feels like every day has been one. We boarded a small airplane at Aswan Airport for a short flight to visit the temples at Abu Simbel. The massive carvings made an immediate impression, and the interior details were absolutely breathtaking.

As stunning as the carvings were, what truly left me dumbfounded was learning that the entire complex was moved piece by piece in 1968 to save it from being submerged by the newly formed Lake Nasser. The mountain that the temples appear to be carved into is actually artificial. I never would have guessed, as it looks completely natural.

Abu Simbel is often billed as a must see, and I wholeheartedly agree. The short plane ride was a small inconvenience for the chance to experience such an unforgettable, bucket-list site.

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We spent the morning in the city of Esna with a short walk through the streets, followed by some time for shopping. Bartering with the shopkeepers can feel intimidating at first, but compared to vendors in Morocco, Egypt is pretty tame. It actually became kind of fun, and I like to think we got pretty good at it. Of course, my mom is the real master of haggling. We came away with some clothes, a stamp, and a few dishes and bowls.

After that, we cruised the Nile for the rest of the day on our way to Aswan. Back on the ship, we enjoyed high tea and some time browsing the library, where I found a book about Hatshepsut, whose temple we had visited the day before. We were then treated to a delicious local meal. To cap it all off, we watched an incredible Egyptian sunset.

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Another day where we truly stepped back through time. We descended into the tombs of Pharaohs Tutankhamun and Seti I in the Valley of the Kings outside of Luxor. The artwork on the walls was the most amazing we had seen yet, with depictions of animal headed gods, intricate hieroglyphs, and beautiful designs. We even saw some unfinished artwork, which made it fascinating to spot the sketchwork done before the paint was applied. I could have stayed down there for hours just gazing at the walls and ceilings.

In the afternoon, we visited the Temple of Hatshepsut. The scale and design of the temple are impressive, and I thought the statues of her with a beard were especially cool. Her story is very interesting!

Back aboard the Thoth, we enjoyed an evening performance by a whirling dervish. It was my first time seeing one in person, and I was completely blown away. I honestly do not know how they can spin for so long. It seems like it would cause permanent inner ear damage, right?

Before falling asleep, I put on a documentary about King Tutankhamun on the cabin television. I barely made it ten minutes before nodding off. This would become my routine for the next few nights.

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Our ship departed Luxor this morning and arrived in Qena around noon. From there, we headed out on a shore excursion to the Dendera Temple complex. It is massive and incredibly impressive. It is hard to put into words the feeling you get while walking among these ancient structures. It truly feels like stepping back in time, and it was wonderfully surreal.

After our visit, we returned to the ship for dinner and enjoyed a welcome toast with the crew. It felt so nice to come back to our little home on the Nile.

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Today was a long day filled with unforgettable sights. After an early breakfast, we boarded a plane and flew south to the city of Luxor. Our first stop was Karnak Temple, another incredible highlight of the trip. The massive pillars and towering obelisks are absolutely overwhelming in scale, and the carvings are breathtaking. It is hard to even imagine the effort, planning, and motivation it took to build something so enormous and detailed.

After wandering the grounds and enjoying a strong Turkish coffee, we boarded the tour bus and headed to our home for the next several days, the Viking Thoth. The Thoth is a brand new ship in the Viking fleet, and we were the very first group of guests to sail with her. It felt so special knowing we were the first to stay in the cabins, dine at the tables, and dip our feet in the pool. For lunch, I went with the burger, yes I know, but I was craving it and it was actually really good. We always share our dishes anyway!

We rested for a few hours, enjoyed another wonderful meal, and then headed out for an evening excursion to Luxor Temple. The grounds were beautifully lit and offered a completely different experience at night. Seeing such an incredible site in the cooler evening air was truly magical. It is something I will never forget.

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