Whoops - It’s 2025

Hi friends!

Anyone else still in shock that it’s 2025? Because I sure am. I don’t know where the time went - I feel like I still think it’s 2020.

The header photo is from last fall - when I tried to bully Hime into taking a nice photo with me in the pretty fall colors, but wound up just creating a hostage photo.

I had initially thought I was going to write a blog once a week (it was a New Year’s Resolution), but clearly, as I stare at the calendar being April, that didn’t happen. I had also wanted to start vlogging. Alas, I never did get around to editing the footage from January.

But, I am going to Japan next week for a 17 day visit. While not all of it will be in Akita, I’m still extremely excited to at least spend some time there. Living in Akita as a foreign exchange student was what caused me to start blogging, and I do like to go back and look at the time capusal that is my first ever blog. It shows how excited I was for everyday things (like the Cupie Mayo mascot) and the grocery store. I also captured my first encounters with Akita dogs, and found out that I actually love them more than anything. (Second place for things I love is garlic, my sister is in the top 10 hahahaha.)

I am most looking forward to going to the Akita Heritage Dog show in Odate, Akita, for the first time ever. I know, I lived there for two years and didn’t go? With how much I love Akitas? Yes - it just never actually played out for me, so I’m achieving a bucket list item of seeing alllllll the dogs doing alllll the things.

What are those things? I don’t know but I don’t care. It’s Akita dogs vibing - what more could anyone ever want? (Probably garlic toast, but unrelated.)

Last year, when I went to Scotland (because I’m always doing stuff, just not documenting it :/), my big sister used GetYourGuide to get us some tours and unique experiences. I found a guide to give us an English tour of the Akita dog show, so while my Japanese is probably good enough to understand what’s going on, I still booked it for us so I can just live in the moment and be happy as all get out while looking at dogs.

I also tried an eSIM through Mobal, a company that donates profits to programs that provide schools meals for students. I’m going to give it a whirl. So far, I like their prices, I like their purpose, I like that they use Docomo.

Hey hey! I’m also going to the Towada Hotel!!!! It was a magical experience when I went in 2019, so I’m beyond excited to go with my sister and bestie.

Basically, it may be April 2025, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to get back on my wagon and achieve at least a small bit of my New Year’s resolution of writing.

What are you doing in 2025?

See you soon!

Love always,

Laura Ann