VLOG - Traveling to Japan (Honeymoon)

November 13th, Mark and I traveled to Narita Airport Japan to start our honeymoon! The most useful things we packed were a Brita water bottle, emergen-c packets, and snacks/ meals to eat on the go. These all came in super helpful, so I'm glad we thought about them beforehand.



Also, we each only packed a personal item (backpack for him, beachbag for me), and rolling carry-on, because we were about to take 8 flights and didnt want to deal with checking or losing our luggage on one and be screwed out of having clothes for part of our trip. It made things super simple to just have it all within eyesight on the plane and forced us to stay in the moment. Yes, we did laundry a few times. But it kept us feeling free and when we did pick up things we needed it was truly part of the experience and from where we were in the world at that time.



It was snowing in Baltimore and 60 degrees Fahrenheit in Japan. We had a layover in Chicago, and got to hang out in the United lounge with some snacks and drinks before boarding out flight. Our flight to Japan was around 13 hours, and included a cute honeymoon dish from the attendants, on the biggest plane we've ever been on.



Our first meal super late was at a Denny's, where Mark got some sizzling Chicken and I got Pasta with Meat Sauce. And the next day is the next video: https://youtu.be/HjyBzzuPqi8

On the Road (Summer Photo Album)

Took some beautiful sunset photos from the road recently. Felt really good to update the Shutterstock Portfolio. Please check them out and let me know what you think (click to enlarge).



www.shutterstock.com/sets/102450632-on-the-road.html?rid=186880126

Surprises at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (DAY 2 pt1)

DAY 2 of our East Coast Road Trip is split up because of just how much happened when we hit the Carolina's. (DAY 1 on Williamsburg, Virginia Beach, and Wilmington here)



The rain was coming down really hard, the morning we set off for Myrtle Beach. This city is on South Carolina’s Atlantic coast, and the hub of the Grand Strand, a 60-mile string of beaches. The plan had been to get toes wet at the water's edge, but the downpour and a slight burn from Virginia Beach the day before discouraged us. Went to Wal-Mart to get some sunscreen and snacks, and I researched from last minute indoor activities.







Black Biker Week was going on, as it happens, every year over Memorial Weekend at Myrtle Beach. It was the coolest thing to see all the bikers and their motorcycles. I remember seeing the event on an episode of Eastbound and Down, and it was something we also hadn't planned but were really happy to be unwitting spectators.

There was an area on Celebrity Circle that had a bunch of cute shops. The rain had stopped a bit we were able to feed fishes from a boardwalk. I'll never forget, relaxing in one of the deck chairs under a shop awning, watching the rain. Everything smells more clearly when it's wet, and the all the colors around you look richer, more saturated.

Wandered into a Laser Maze Challenge. This was probably more for children, but made us feel like Catherine Zeta Jones in Entrapment. And we beat the Expert Level- twice! There was also a connected Mirror Maze, that was really fun. They give you gloves when you go in, because you keep your arms out to check which pathways are real, and which are the mirrored halls.

Grabbed lunch at a big restaurant by the water called the Sea Captain's House, mostly because it had a big parking lot across the street and you could walk from the dining area to the water. Pleasantly surprised to try she-crab soup for the first time there; it was really good.



Went back to another boardwalk and shops area but this time to see some tigers!

The best possible last minute thing ever - the T.I.G.E.R.S. Preservation Station at Myrtle Beach Safari. The first time slots start at 5:00 pm, so we hit up a magic store across from the entrance (saw a 'Zoltar Speak's machine, just like they have at Coney Island and the Tom Hanks movie, Big). When the time finally came- we were so excited. The admission goes to funding preservation efforts- and the monkeys, wolf cub, and two-month-old tiger were so amazing to hold and touch. I still can't believe we had that once-in-a-lifetime experience, and it was my favorite part of our time at Myrtle Beach.

And then it was off to Charleston for the evening.