Family Friday: Sept 20

If you follow us on Instagram, you'll know that I went on a trip this week :)  Some of my friends and I took an impromptu trip to Japan!  We flew Space-A which means we got a free flight abroad a cargo plane that was headed to Japan.  Space-A is the privilege of flying on a military craft that has any extra space available for military (or other eligible) passengers.  Flying Space-A is an adventure for which you have to be extremely flexible.  You don't know if you actually have a seat until right before the flight leaves.  You also don't have a guaranteed flight home and may end up waiting for days/weeks or having to buy a commercial ticket.


We flew on a cargo plane which was not the most comfortable flying experience but it was free so I can't complain.  We strapped ourselves into the cargo net seating along the sides of the plane until we reached cruising altitude.  For the rest of the flight we were able to sit or lay wherever we wanted.  This was my first Space-A experience and I was not prepared for how cold it was!  I had a coat and extra socks but other passengers were prepared with sleeping bags and blankets... I'll keep that in mind for next time.

I got to sit in the cockpit for the final approach and landing!  Looking out of the front of the plane while soaring above and through the clouds was an amazing experience and having a front row seat for the landing was definitely a highlight of the trip.


I was in Japan for five days and then had to buy a commercial flight to get home in time for Johnnie to leave on a trip.  Yes, we do travel a lot :)  My friends and I were on the go constantly in Japan so the trip was physically exhausting.  However, being away from the responsibilities of a baby was incredibly mentally rejuvenating which is something that I really needed!  I really loved experiencing Tokyo but to be honest - some of my favorite parts of the trip included reading an entire book on the flight there, getting long nights of uninterrupted sleep, not having to constantly worry about another tiny human being, and watching two movies on the flight home (with a nap in-between).  I am very thankful to Johnnie and his parents for looking after Cameron while I gallivanted across the ocean on an adventure :)


We had a fantastic time in Tokyo!  We filled our days with as much as we could, taking the subway and walking everywhere we went.  At night we slept soundly, recovering and preparing for the next day.  I hope to get some separate blog posts done about some of the places we visited but with my current long list of blog drafts, it may take a while.  Here are the highlights of our trip...

We went to the Sensoji Temple...


and to the Tokyo Skytree for a panoramic view of the city at night.


We walked through many shopping areas and found some "not quite right" things :)


We spent a day at DisneySea theme park which was more of an adventure than we planned it to be.


On the day I flew home, my traveling companions went on a day-long tour so I went to the Shinjuku Gyeon national garden by myself


and also to the Meiji Shrine.


I was very excited to get home to my baby girl!  In a few years she'll be old enough to come on adventure trips with me - I can't wait to show her the amazing world that we live in :)


The last couple weeks Cameron would play with an empty bowl and spoon, pretending to stir something up then have a taste, it is so funny watching her!  This week I decided to let her try it for real and see how she does.  I gave her some plain greek yogurt in a bowl with a spoon.  She actually did pretty well!  The yogurt sticks to the spoon so there is nothing to scoop - she simply dipped the spoon in the yogurt and then ate it.  Johnnie captured some video:


She switched hands often and did well getting the spoon in her mouth.  She was ready to stop eating once her hands (and face) got covered with yogurt.


A yogurt covered baby - that is the normal life that I came home to, the normal life that I desperately missed while I was away.  It's good to be home.  No matter where I am, Johnnie, Cameron, and Dulce are constantly on my mind and in my heart.

*******
"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm,
and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that
we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open."
~Jawaharlal Nehru

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