Antique Archaeology | Nashville, Tennessee

When Markus and I were living in Korea, we scoured the internet for interesting television shows. Through the encouragement of our dear friend Brittney, we watched an episode of American Pickers. It's a show about two guys that drive all over the country looking and "picking" for really strange and old items and paraphernalia. After that first episode, we were hooked and watched heaps of episodes. Every time we watched an episode, we dreamed of "picking" and visiting Mike Wolfe's Antique Archaeology in Iowa. We knew were were moving to Chicago and that it wasn't too far to drive.

While were driving around Nashiville, I remembered I read online that Wolfe opened a second store there. Thankfully, my dear cousin Joy was flexible and fit it into her packed itinerary. We had a great time exploring the store. The space was a lot smaller than I thought and it didn't have a lot of "picked" items. It was more geared toward fans of the show and I was a little disappointed. It's okay though, I was happy to be able take the detour and see some strange things.
 

PAO Truck | Tampa, Florida

When Markus and I were in Korea, my cousin Jonjie started running the PAO truck, a Filipino fusion food truck in the Tampa Bay area. Every time I saw pictures of his food, my mouth would water. Jonjie has always been a great chef and has been in the business since he was 14. He's put his experience to good use and is always coming up with his own recipes and different ways to play on different flavors and staple dishes. It's been his lifelong dream to cook his own food and I'm overjoyed that he's been able to start his own business.

Even though he's been able to get things started on his dream, there is still a lot that he has to overcome. In order for him to compete with the other food trucks in the area, he needs a new generator and a body wrap for the truck. He recently started a Kickstarter in order to try and fund these needs. Please check out his Kickstarter and help fund the lifelong dream of someone who truly deserves it. If you're in the Tampa Bay area, get your butt out to the PAO truck. It's seriously delicious and worth it.

Back in August, we were way too busy with packing up our lives and moving to Chicago and weren't able to go to the PAO truck. When we visited again for the Christmas holidays, nothing was going to keep from getting my hands on some delicious Filipino food. We even invited our dear friend Ryan to join us. He also generously contributed all photos of the PAO truck for this blog post. Ryan is a huge fan of Asian food and he never had Filipino food before, so what better way than the PAO truck?

Tosilog, Sisig Nachos, Lumpia, Boom Boom PAO burger and Filipino Nachos

I may have gone a bit overboard for three people, but I couldn't help myself. I saw that menu and I wanted to try everything. We ordered the Tosilog, Sisig Nachos, Lumpia, Boom Boom PAO Burger and the Filipino Nachos. If you aren't familiar with Filipino cuisine, it's like a mix of Asian and Spanish food. We like to cook a lot of pork and we're pretty great at it.

I really liked everything I ate, but my favorites were the Tosilog and Boom Boom PAO burger. Tosilog is a traditional Filipino breakfast dish that is comprised of tocino, sweet cured pork, fried rice and egg. It's one of my favorite meals and this was amazing. The garlic fried rice is addicting. For the burgers, he uses a PAO bun instead of a traditional bun. It's very similar to the bread that is used for steamed buns and we know how much I love steamed buns. The Boom Boom PAO is unlike any burger I've ever had. It begins with a 6 oz hamburger patty, topped with cheese, tocino, a fried egg and lettuce and tomato and sandwiched between the PAO bun. You would think it would be too much, but it's not. Everything goes together perfectly and it's something that everyone should at least try once. 

I'm not lying when I say that it was all freaking amazing. Jonjie really has a gift and it would be sad to see it go to waste. He makes everything from scratch, no pre-packaged stuff. He really pours his heart and soul into his food. If you want to support someone's lifelong dream and help spread Filipino cuisine, please support the PAO Truck!

Steamed Buns, Okonomiyaki & Green Tea Slushies | Itsukushima, Japan

One of my favorite parts of traveling through Japan was eating so many delicious things. I'm such a huge fan of food. Not sure if you could tell, but I would spend good money on an unforgettable meal.
While in Itsukushima, we were able to sample a variety of foods that you can't find in the States or in Korea. Who knew a tiny little island would have so many yummy things? Who am I kidding? This is Japan. Everything is yummy.

I'm a huge fan of buns. That totally sounds weird, but it's true. I love any kind of steamed bun. When I was a kid, I used to make my parents buy these pre-made roasted pork buns at the Asian supermarket. They came in a package of four. I would always open the package and heat up one, but would end up eating the rest. No wonder I was a chubby kid.

Anyway, so with all of that in mind, when Markus and I were exploring the little alleyways of Itsukushima. My heart squealed in glee when I saw steamed buns. I was even more excited when I realized they were filled with conger eel. I've had so many steamed buns in my life. I've eaten roasted pork, shredded chicken, ground beef and even red bean, but never eel. It didn't disappoint and it was amazing. The flavors were really mild and were accented by the slight sweetness of the bun.

Something I had been dying to try for ages was okonomiyaki. It's a widely popular and well known dish in Japan. It's basically a savory pancake with layers of deliciousness. They have okonomiyaki joints all over Japan, but I was dying to try the ones with oysters in Itsukushima. We sat right at the grill and watched the chef create our meal right before our eyes. It's comprised of shredded cabbage, green onions, noodles, a thin pancake and then it's topped off with more green onions, brown sauce and oysters. I really loved okonimiyaki, but I knew I would. It was quite filling and Markus and I were able to share this whole plate and only spent about $15. It may seem like a lot but $7 per person for lunch in Japan is a steal.

 

We concluded our food tour of Itsukushima with a green tea slush. If green tea is ever an option for a dessert, I always choose it. I didn't think I would like this slush, but it was really nice. It was also a great way to cool down. We visited Japan in August and it was swelteringly hot and border line unbearable. Thankfully, this green tea slush refreshed me on such a hot day.

Later, I'll be posting more about eating cheap in Japan. People always so it's expensive, but Markus and I did it! So dear readers, be on the lookout for that!

A Little Lost...

Since we've come back to America, I haven't been myself. It's like I lost myself somewhere along the way. The two years I spent in Korea were two of the best years of my life. Now that the dust has settled, the reality has finally hit me. Those years were a brief interlude but now I have to face the rest of my life. It's time to stop wandering and to become a real adult. The thought is scary, but it's something that every one of us has to face. It's really started to hit me that that part of my life is over. I think I've been in denial and I've been so overwhelmed. Today, it finally dawned on me. I'll never live in Korea again. That time of my life was beautiful, challenging and amazing but I can never go back.

In the past five months, I've gone through more changes than most people will go through in their entire lives. I've had a lot of ups and downs. I've stopped writing and taking photos. I stopped reading. It's like the happiness and joy I always had disappeared. I became a sad shell of myself. When I realized this, I was terrified. I didn't want to go from being someone who could go on adventures and live life to the fullest, to someone who went to sleep at 9pm because I couldn't deal with the reality of the day. I felt really bad for Markus because he had to deal with a depressed and emotional wife.

Dear readers, that person no longer exists. I made a resolution today. I will never be anything but myself. I will continue to write and blog. I lost that zest for life. I've always been a dreamer and that will never change. I can't be something that I'm not. I can only move forward and I'm really excited for what the future will bring. I don't know what it is, but that's always my favorite part, the unknown.

Music Row | Nashville, Tennessee

Back when Markus and I were driving from Tampa to Chicago in September, we made a stop in Nashville. My dear cousin, Joy, was on holiday and she invited us to join her for a couple days. Markus and I visited Nashville for a quick day trip back in 2009. I loved the city then and I still love it. We revisited Music Row and it was still a dynamic and thriving part of the city. I wish we could've spent more time there, but that just means we have to go back!

Itsukushima, Japan | August 2013

After we visited Miyajima Shrine, we explored the sights around Itsukushima. It's such a lovely little island. I will say that it was quite packed since it was a school holiday. I was still able to capture many of my favorite places and without the crowds! There were so many people packed onto that little island, but it was still amazing and I enjoyed every minute.

Memoirs of a Geisha | Kyoto, Japan

One of my lifelong dreams came true in Kyoto. Markus and I walked the lovely alleys of Gion dressed as a geisha and a samurai. It was pretty awesome. I can' even imagine what it's like being a real geisha. It took 45 minutes to put on my hair and makeup and another 40 minutes for the kimono. There were so many layers and I think they added on an extra 20 pounds of fabric.

I remember the exact moment I opened my eyes and saw myself dressed as a geisha. I didn't even recognize myself. It was like looking at the face of a completely different woman. When I walked into the waiting room, Markus didn't even recognize me until I spoke. I wish I pretended I was someone else, that could've been fun. Either way, it was an unforgettable experience and one of my favorite things we did in Japan!