Miyajima Shrine | Itsukushima, Japan

While Markus and I were planning our trip to Japan, we tried to think of all the places that we wanted to visit. As much as I like to think we can travel anywhere we want, the reality is we can't. We don't know if we'll ever be able to go to Japan again, so we packed our itinerary full of hotspots. Traveling within Japan is quite easy and most places are accessible by train.

One of the places that we had to see was the Miyajima Shrine, off the coast of Hiroshima. When you think of Japan or see photos of the beautiful country, there are three places that consistently appear, Tokyo, Mt. Fuji and Miyajima. We planned it so that we visited on our eight year wedding anniversary. Last year, we were at Chatsworth House in England. It's kinda crazy that we've spent the last couple holidays in exotic places. The shrine was absolutely beautiful and surreal. I had to pinch myself because it felt like a dream.

Happy Christmas from Chicago!

With all the craziness that's been going on, we weren't able to send out Christmas cards. I was a bit upset, but I can at least share the photo with you! The photo was taken in the heart of Chicago in front of Buckingham Fountain. I love this city and I'm so thankful that we're able to live in such a great place.

We'll be spending our first Christmas back in the states in Florida. It might be warm, but it's what we're used to. It's been a while, so it'll be nice to be around friends and family. So with that, Markus and I hope that you have a wonderful and lovely Christmas!

Miyajima Deer | Hiroshima, Japan

Man, it's been a while. I told myself when I got a job, I wouldn't stop posting, but look what happened. I can't believe that I haven't posted a thing on Japan. It was so lovely there and I took way too many photos. Hopefully, this will be the first of many posts!

One of my favorite places was Miyajima, a beautiful island off the coast of Hiroshima. We spent an entire day there. When we got off the ferry, we were welcomed by a blazing hot sun, a quaint little town and so many cute deer. I couldn't stop following them and kept getting in other people's photos. I felt bad, but how many times do you see deer in Japan?