New York…I am settling back in after my long trip. I am not big on souvenirs, but I did bring back some items from my travels that I would like to incorporate into my home!
First, my distant relative in Poland gave me a handmade linen and then I bought some South Pacific mud cloths…I decided to frame these memories and make them part of my NYC loft decor!
Now I can remember my trip everyday when I see these cool DIY decorations!
New York City, NY…I AM HOME!
After 4 1/2 months I have returned to New York post Hurricane “Sandy”…luckily all at my apartment in Chelsea is ok! My roof deck garden didn’t fare as well, but it’s far from a disaster!
I departed on this journey June 26 and covered 25 countries:
USA
Spain
Greece
Turkey
Malta
Croatia
Montenegro
Italy
Czech Republic
Austria
Hungary
Slovakia
Poland
France
United Kingdom
Qatar
South Africa
Samoa
Fiji
Vanautu
New Caledonia
Australia
Indonesia
Singapore
Japan
One of my saving graces and best investments was my unlocked IPhone I picked up in Hong Kong used! This unlocked phone allowed me to buy prepaid SIM cards in each country so I could always be connected and utilize lifesaving travel apps and tools like GPS as I walked around unknown cities! Doing this also saved me thousands of dollars in roaming charges that Verizon or AT&T charge travelers!
Jet lag has taken hold, but I still adjusting to being back home…Where to next??
Tokyo, Japan…we finished our visit to Japan with a real “score”!
Vintage Kimono shopping on the corner of Meiji-Dori in the bustling Harajuku district! This open air market had thousands of vintage kimonos and obi to choose from!
My friend Shelly got into it and walked away with some amazing finds…a summery kimono as a robe for the beach, an evening black kimono to dress up, and a rugged denim worker style kimono to make a fashion statement!
A little background on the kimono:
The kimono (着物) is a Japanese traditional garment worn by men, women and children. The word “kimono”, which literally means a “thing to wear” (ki “wear” and mono “thing”), has come to denote these full-length robes.
Kimono are T-shaped, straight-lined robes worn so that the hem falls to the ankle, with attached collars and long, wide sleeves. Kimono are wrapped around the body, always with the left side over the right (except when dressing the dead for burial.), and secured by a sash called an obi, which is tied at the back.
Tokyo, Japan…Today Japan awed and inspired me at the Meiji Shrine (明治神宮 Meiji Jingū), located in Shibuya. This is the Shinto shrine that is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken.
A peaceful oasis in the heart of modern Tokyo, Meiji Shrine is sheltered by a 700,000 square-meter forest of 120,000 evergreen trees, donated from all parts of Japan when the shrine was established.
The shrine grounds are entered through two of Japan’s largest torii (shrine gates), made of beautiful cypress wood more than 1,700 years old.
The shrine was rebuilt in the 1950’s after being destroyed in World War II…this is the most visited shrine in Tokyo.
In part of the compound, you can write a wish and place at the altar and shake a cylinder of thin sticks till one pops out revealing a wisdom or poem relating to your life! Mine was great!
This was an amazing yet solemn place that just evokes a true sense of Japan’s long history and proud people! The design is a hallmark of Japanese beauty!
Tokyo, Japan…a short walk from the hotel in Shinjuku and a world away we found the Meiji Shrine.
Tucked away in a wooded and peaceful park, this sight is the spot for traditional Shinto weddings!
As we walked around, one wedding procession after another made their way through the grounds…a dull drum beat and the slow walk of the bridal party was shaded by traditional red Japanese umbrellas!
Each bride was resplendent in different kimonos and unique by wearing different styles of tsunokakushi (head piece).
Absolutely beautiful, this ancient tradition and ceremony was so cool to witness!
Tokyo, Japan…a Sunday walk in the park was one of the best moments of my visit to Tokyo!
Yoyogi Park was filled with parents bringing their adorable children dressed in their traditional Japanese costumes to Meiji Shrine! These children were so cute I could hardly stand it!
They were excited to have their pictures taken and I snapped away, one after another!
Tokyo, Japan…love Gwen Stefani and the Harujuka Girls she made famous! Today was shopping day in the Harajuka area and the adjoining Omotesando area…
Colorful fashion, platform sneakers, sparkly accessories and cartoon graphics galore! This area mixes this Japanese love of “cute” fashion through the winding side streets and brand name designer fashion on the major avenues…These young fashion girls are colorful pop culture icons in Japan and they are visible working in as well as shopping in the shops all along this area! They are the real life version of the colorful Japanese drawings…
Funny enough, fashion wasn’t what inspired me today! It was a great shop of unique handmade stickers that I loved! These digitally rendered stickers at “B-Side Label” looked great used all together on a wall or on a bike…so many cool ways to make a statement!
I got a feel for young Tokyo today and it was a cool peek into this colorful world!
Tokyo, Japan…this morning’s view was of a snow capped Mount Fuji in the distance! What a beautiful sight looming far beyond Tokyo’s urban sprawl!
Today is fashion time! We braved navigating the city’s subway system to get us to the shopping mecca of Ginza! We managed to get there without getting lost and once we arrived we were struck with the amount of mega luxury brands jammed into one area! Luxury after luxury with one being more expensive than the next…it’s mind blowing to even think who is buying all this! I admit my head was spinning and needed to stop for directions a few times as some stores are down alleyways that you would never expect!
I thought the buildings themselves were interesting…the bland modernity was transformed with custom facades to set each brand apart!
Dover Street Market by Rei Kawakubo of Commes des Garcons is a curated collection of fashion cool…this bazaar of sorts is meant to give off a vibe of “beautiful chaos”…but to me, the sales people stole the limelight from the store itself! Each Japanese associate had such amazing style that was unique and so distinctly Japanese! It’s this kind of “out-there” fashion mixing that is totally chic yet interestingly new that you rarely see elsewhere! Very inspiring!
The day flew by as we walked the streets going store to store and the sun sets early now and the day darkened very fast! As we wrapped up this day of fashion mega brand overload, we headed back to the hotel admiring the city’s lights all around us!
Tokyo, Japan…I am channeling the Bill Murray/Scarlet Johansen film…I arrived today in Tokyo and checked into the Park Hyatt!
Living 49 stories above bustling Shinjuku, the view is spectacular!
Tonight the sunset enabled Mount Fuji to be seen from the city !
Ready for a few days in this bustling crazy hub of creativity!
Singapore…it’s a daredevil day for us in Asia! This year’s Halloween costumes are going to be skydiver flight suits and a simulated skydive for our ghoulish treat!
I always wanted to jump from a plane, but I definitely am not brave enough to actually do it! On Sentosa Island in Singapore there is an IFly skydive simulator…so this is finally my chance!
Friends Shelly and Julie were as excited as I was to try it! It’s a totally fun and much more economically way to experience a jump without all the risk! I think that step off an actual moving plane may just send me into a total panic attack!
After a lesson and instructions from a certified jumper, we were outfitted in our flight suits, helmets, googles, and ear plugs…minutes later we were flying in the glass dive chamber! Remembering to breathe, relax, and keep your body in good posture allows the high velocity wind to make sure you soar high into the circular chamber!
What a rush! Totally cool! Its freaky, frightful, and exhilarating at the same time! Afterwards the instructor showed off his in-flight acrobatics and we all said we would love to do it again!
We all got our certificates and left feeling totally fulfilled! What a memorable day totally out of my comfort zone!
WhereamIgoingto 