As the holidays approach, I find myself reflecting more on my grandmother. Perhaps it’s because my Mimi, who has been an instrumental influence in my life, passed away just two weeks before Thanksgiving. Or it’s simply the poignant feeling the holidays evoke as we age. Regardless, if you are missing a loved one this year, I invite you to enjoy the story shared by a new friend, along with excerpts from the journal that her grandmother left to her.
A week-long trip to Japan was definitely not included on my bingo card for this year. As much as we love to travel, experiencing Japan with my family never even entered my consciousness. Thankfully, it had entered the mind of my child.
When our children were young, I read the book Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World by Bob Goff. In his book, Goff discusses his decision to give each of his children a trip to their chosen destination. Inspired by his choice, my husband and I offered each of our children the same offer: an adventure before they graduated high school to a location of their choice, with just mom and dad. Oh, and they also get to plan the itinerary.
Who would have thought that our firstborn would take us on an unforgettable 7-day journey through Japan, leaving us exhausted, full of memories, and transformed for the better?
Explore our Tokyo to Mt. Fuji itinerary, with visits to Hiroshima, Osaka, and Kyoto to see all we encountered during our adventure.
If you’ve been through this before, you know the mix of emotions that I’m talking about – feeling happy and excited as your young adult sets off on their new journey but also experiencing a faint sense of grief. It’s like a cocktail of emotions that comes with a twist of uncertainty and a thin layer of anxiety on top. Our son is thrilled, and although our break felt different from the ones we’ve had in the past, it was still great to spend some quality time together. We also got some extra time to catch up on sleep and reading, which was nice.
During our college tours, we explored various colleges located near Nashville. We decided to stay at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, which is home to Soundwaves Waterpark. It was a great way to add fun to our trip, especially for our youngest, who patiently walked around different college campuses. To keep myself entertained, I downloaded a few audiobooks for the car ride and a paperback for some relaxing time by the pool.
Here’s what I’ve been reading over the last couple of weeks. Let me know if you’ve read any and what you think of them!