Arashiyama's Bamboo Groves | Kyoto, Japan | 1 of 2

I know I've said it before, but Kyoto is absolutely beautiful. The city has so much to offer and it was spectacular. Another must see spot is the bamboo groves of Arashiyama. It's a bit of a trek out of the city center, but it's worth it. I've seen bamboo forests at the Morikami Museum in Florida, but nothing can compare to this. It feels like the bamboo goes on for ages and it's quite tranquil. I love the sound of bamboo swaying in the wind. Its the perfect place to stop and ponder the wonders of life.

Fushimi Inari Taisha | Kyoto, Japan | 2 of 2

While Markus and I were hiking through Fushimi Inari Taisha, I distinctly remember feeling extremely calm and peaceful. Despite spending three hours hiking up a mountain on a hot August day, I had an amazing experience. I was spending the day at a beautiful shrine with my husband in Japan. How many times would I experience something like that again? We had a great time and spent most of the time discussing our pet project, The Lost Land of Yehey. Everything we saw inspired us and came up with some great ideas for our story.  I think that's my favorite part of traveling with Markus. Even though we're on vacation, we still continue to create new worlds and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Japan Cheap Eats #3: Matsuya | Kyoto

This is part of a series about eating on a budget and I've titled the series, "Japan Cheap Eats". Many people think Japan is expensive, but I'm here to prove them wrong! We found many budget options and I wanted to share them with you!

Just like most countries, Japan has many fast food restaurants. They have Mickey D's, Wendy's and my personal fave, KFC. You know me and fried chicken, we're soul mates. In addition to these places, they have even better options. They are on a completely different level when it comes to fast food, which isn't surprising, because it's Japan. Throughout the country, they have various gyudon shops. Gyudon literally means beef bowl and it's incredible. Delicious simmered beef and onions are served over white rice. The first gyudon place we visited was Matsuya in Kyoto and it was an awesome experience.

After an afternoon of hiking through Fushimi Inari Taisha, Markus and I were starved. Up to this point, we ate a lot of mart food and we wanted something a little more sophisticated. We scoped out a few places that were within our budget. We almost settled on some burger place, but then we happened to walk by Matsuya. It was like a beacon of light and we couldn't help but go in.

Places like Matsuya have everything down to a science and it's really efficient. The inside is set up like a diner and usually manned by one or two people. I think they wanted to limit as much human interaction as possible. You don't even order through the employees, but through a ticket machine. It's actually kind of cool. I liked that there wasn't any pressure to make an order right away, especially in a place where I don't speak the language. After we placed our orders, we sat down and gave the guy our ticket. He quickly whipped up our order and it was ready in less than 5 minutes.

The gyudon itself was really delicious and I enjoyed the flavors. The meat was both sweet and salty and was complimented by the rice. It's not going to win any awards, but it gets the job done. It's a great healthier alternative to burgers and fries. Overall, we both enjoyed Matusya and gyudon so much that we stopped at almost all the other similar shops. If you're in Japan, this is definitley a great budget eat and something that should be tried, even if it's to use the ticket machine to order your food!

Cost Breakdown:
Large Beef Gyudon Bowl: 480
Medium Beef Gyudon Bowl: 380
Miso Soup: free with beef bowl
TOTAL: 860 yen or $8.41

Goodbye Korea Series: Busan English Library

I don't know why it's taken me 10 months to post these pictures, but at least I'm posting them. Towards the end of my time in Korea, I have to admit that I was frustrated. Homesickness really got to me and I had to work with a really inconsiderate person. Due to this, I left Korea happily. Now, ten months out, I really miss it, especially the library. Sometimes, we get so caught up in how we're feeling at the moment.  Working at the library was really one of the best jobs I've ever had and I truly miss every single person there.

For my goodbye dinner, they took me to Korean BBQ, since it's my favorite. Afterward, we went to noreabang and sang to our hearts content. It was a great evening spent with my favorite co-workers.  I even received a few gifts, including shoes for my future baby! In the two years I worked at the library, I made so many good memories, too many to name. I'm so thankful for having the opportunity to work at the Busan English Library and it will always be a cherished time in my life!

Al's Cafe | Elgin, Illinois

Even though I dislike living all the way out in the burbs, there are still little pockets of awesomeness. Currently we live in Elgin, which is like an hour and a half from Chicago. It's torture, but we try to make the best of it. One thing Markus and I like to do is explore. When my brother and mommyo came to town, we were still new to the area. We found some really good places and one of those spots was Al's Cafe in downtown Elgin.

Al's is basically an institution in these parts and has been in business since the 80s. The building itself dates back to 1892. I love places like Al's that are full of history. I loved the look and feel of the place. The bottom floor had old pews for seating, which mommyo loved. The upstairs felt more intimate and homey with books lining a small portion of the wall. The food is typical Americana and quite good. Although, the real specialty are the malts and shakes. I've never had a malt before and I don't think I could ever go back to milkshakes.

Godzilla & Toho Studios | Tokyo, Japan

If there was one thing on this earth that Markus loves as much as me, it would be Godzilla. This kid is a fan of all things kaiju. I think it stems from his childhood and watching anything involving the Japanese monsters. I'm not joking. When he found out that Toho Studios was breaking Godzilla's ten year hibernation, he was ecstatic. All he talks about is this new Godzilla movie, it's quite funny. He owns almost every Godzilla movie and is constantly searching for the ones he's missing. The other night I walked into the bedroom and he was watching Gamera, the other famous Japanese kaiju. He even loves Ultraman, which has heaps and heaps of giant monsters. Personally, I think this obsession is adorable and unique. When we decided to travel to Japan, it was really his decision. The UK was my dream trip and Japan was his. In order to really make this an unforgettable trip, we had to trek to Toho Studios, the home of Godzilla.

Unfortunatley, Toho Studios does not offer tours. It totally stinks, but real diehard fans, still visit the exterior entrance.  Markus did all the research and figured out a way to get there. There isn't a direct way there and you have to walk through various suburban neighborhoods. To be honest, I really didn't want to go. It was out of the way and difficult to get there, but for Markus I relented. When we finally got to the exit after an hour, we walked for a bit and got lost a few times. I remember walking through this random gate and we finally found it. Toho is pretty brilliant, because the outside has a mini Godzilla and a huge wall homage to the Seven Samurai. It's enough to please any fan and Markus was more than pleased. I looked over at him as soon as the studio was in sight and he was more than happy. It's like he was a kid again. I've never seen him like that and it made all the trouble worth it.