Weekly Photo Challenge: Connected in Peace

by Christine M.September 6, 2015

"Connected Camels and Peace" at the Rub' al Khali (The Empty Quarter) desert in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

“Connected in Peace” at the Rub’ al Khali (The Empty Quarter) desert in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

After an adventurous ride on the camels in this photo, my family and I were able to take a break for some much needed water and had fun running up and down some of the massive dunes in the stunning Empty Quarter Desert. I happened to look over to where the camels were laying down enjoying their break and noticed one of the guides starting to get the camels up and then they all started their journey back to where they stay. I started snapping shots of them as they were leaving and then the camel guide suddenly turned and looked at me. To my surprise, he then smiled and held up the peace sign! I watched them for as long as I could until they faded away into the desert and the hazy sand.

As my family and I explore more of the world and live as expats, we have realized that a majority of the people we have met around the world have a strong desire to be connected to each other and the only way this works is to live together in “Peace”.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Express Yourself

by Christine M.January 29, 2015

Mia and I along with the crowd expressing ourselves by dancing and parading down the street at the Market Square in Helsinki, Finland during Vappu!

This is one of my favorite shots from while we lived in Finland. This was our last month there and it was during the Vappu (May Day) celebration. After a very dark and cold winter, it was the most exciting day we had seen in Helsinki all year! Although it was still gloomy, it was amazing to see so many people out and about and truly having a great time. We had no idea so many people actually lived in Helsinki!

This candid shot my husband managed to get after we danced around for a long time with this crowd is my favorite not only because it shows the genuine good time Mia and I were having on our faces, but also because of the people of Finland it shows in the background. There are so many expressing themselves: The bright pink lady blowing her whistle, the lady with the plaid long skirt banging on her tambourine, and the guy behind me showing the peace sign. I also had no idea there was a guy that looks like Kid Rock to the left of us and a very sad faced guy with pink bunny rabbit ears to the right of us! Good times!!

Celebrating Vappu (May Day) in Finland!

by Christine M.May 1, 2014

We couldn’t leave Finland without experiencing Vappu! For our last month living here, it was great to see all of the Finns out celebrating today and last evening here in Helsinki! I believe it is the biggest celebration of the year in Finland. There were so many people out and about that I thought we were in a completely different city… much different from the peace and quiet that we have seen this past year! It was nice to finally see so much fun and excitement!! Here are a few photos from the celebration:

This is the crowd getting ready for the crowning of the Havis Amanda Statue.

The crowning of the Havis Amanda Statue in Market Square.

The crowning of the Havis Amanda Statue in the Market Square.

This is a shot with the crowd right after she was crowned with her hat!

Mia and I had a great time on the eve of May Day for the celebration at the Market Square!

We met a nice lady who was all dressed up for the celebration!

Mia and Danny enjoying the celebration!

Mia and I with one of the many balloon vendors on the streets. We felt like we were back at home on Main St. at the Magic kingdom! :)

Mia and I with one of the many balloon vendors on the streets. We felt like we were back at home on Main St. at the Magic Kindgdom! 🙂

Here she is after the crowning ceremony! This is on the eve of May Day and it took place around 6:00 p.m.

Mia and I in front of the Havis Amanda Statue after we stopped for dinner. Not long after the crowning, her hat is usually taken from someone in the crowd! It was gone in less than two hours! 😉

There were lots of balloons and tents set up at Kaivopuisto today (May Day)!

More of the crowd at Kaivopuisto today (May Day)!

We sat down for a picnic, but it started to rain and get really cold so we had to head home for our picnic! I guess we needed a tent!

We sat down for a picnic under a nice tree, but it started to rain and get really cold so we had to head home for our picnic! I guess we needed a tent!

Mia and I had fun dancing with the band who was parading down the street at the Market Square on the eve of Vappu! A great memory for our time while living in Finland!

If you would like to learn more about Vappu, this is a great article about the celebration in Helsinki (sorry, you will have to copy and paste the link, but this is the best article I found in English: www2.hs.fi/english/archive/thisweek/18042000.html

We can now mark another Red Pin Adventure off our Travel Bucket List:
~~Celebrate with the Finns during Vappu (May Day) in Finland!~~

Winter in Helsinki & Aurora hunting in Lapland tonight

by Christine M.March 27, 2014

All the snow has melted here in Helsinki, and it is finally starting to really look like spring after a little tease we had a few weeks ago. Mia was lucky to wake up on her birthday to a beautiful fresh snowfall, which I am hoping was the last one for the season. I am way behind again on a blog post, but I have plenty of photos to share from around beautiful Helsinki during the winter as well as a few shots from a few places we have visited in the area. I am very happy to say that we managed to survive the darkness and a winter in Finland. We brought Florida with us and were very lucky as we heard this was the mildest winter in Finland in the last 20 some years!

My family and I are flying up to North Finland (Lapland) this evening for one last shot to see the northern lights. We are also signed up for skiing lessons as we have all never been snow skiing before. We only have about two months left here in Finland (yes, we are on the move again… this time to some place warmer)! I will post photos next week from our adventure this weekend and hopefully some aurora shots will be included. I am better prepared this time and have a tripod packed and ready to go… Aurora hunting here we come!!

Mia in front of the beautiful Helsinki Cathedral.

Helsinki Cathedral through a window…

Mia and her daddy in front of the Helsinki Cathedral.

Helsinki Orthodox Church.

I spotted this guy ice fishing while on a ride on the metro.

Mia having fun one day on the metro. Hmmm… I wonder where everyone was that day?

Relaxing at Starbucks!

Birds camping out on the frozen sea!

Mia and I on the bridge we cross often… with the frozen sea in the background!

Mia and her crazy stuffed fish! I wonder if people thought she really caught a big fish!

Doggy footprints in the snow!

Mia's woke up to this beautiful snow on her birthday after we thought all the snow was gone for the year!

Mia woke up to this beautiful snow on her birthday after we thought all the snow was gone for the year!

Birthday snowball!

We enjoyed viewing an art show close to our apartment one Sunday afternoon (Kaapeli).

I enjoyed visiting the Iittala factory with some of the other moms from Mia’s school.

One of my favorite artists now (Tove Jansson) – a lovely Moomin display at Iittala!

Me with the Moomin mugs at the Iittala factory in Arabia!

This is our porch covered in snow after a crazy storm one night!

Reindeer anyone? It was surprisingly delicious! It’s a popular dish here in Finland!

2013 and A Little Angel: Travel Rocks for Jaedyn

by Christine M.December 31, 2013

2013 is coming to an end and this is what is coming to my mind, “Oh my, what a year it has been!” For my family and I, it will always be a year that we will never forget. It was filled with excitement, laughter, ups and downs, and even some “what the heck were we thinking” moments! This was the year that our family decided to donate 3/4 of our belongings, remove toxic people and things from our lives, move to Finland with only suitcases, and basically simplify our lives in so many ways. We also spent a lot of time focusing on our travel bucket list, and as we reflect on this past year, we have so much to be grateful for.

A few weeks before we moved to Finland, I received this email on Facebook from one of my high school classmates who I hadn’t seen in many years:

The email that started “Travel Rocks for Jaedyn.”

My friend lost her baby girl, Jaedyn, at only 16 months old after a tragic accident. Jaedyn would have been 10 years old this year. Since I can remember, my daughter Mia has always picked up rocks wherever we went. She has probably picked up a thousand by now! I would find them everywhere… at the bottom of my purse, in my pockets, her pockets, and her daddy’s pockets. She even has a very nice collection of them on her window sill in her room in Finland. So, after receiving this email from my friend, I knew this was a perfect job for my family and we started to pick up rocks for Jaedyn on our trips that we went on. Here is a photo of precious Jaedyn which was taken only three weeks before the accident:

Our angel who has been traveling with us: Jaedyn

The little angel who has been traveling with us this past year: Jaedyn

Here are photos of the jar we made for her travel rocks and also photos from her gravesite where her mommy joined us to give the rocks to her a few days ago:

We put the rocks we collected for Jaedyn in little bags and wrote where there are each from and put them in this purple jar.

We put the rocks we collected for Jaedyn in little bags and wrote where they are each from and put them in this purple jar.

Jaedyn’s beautiful gravesite where we placed her jar of travel rocks a few days ago.

The jar of Travel Rocks for Jaedyn along with some other rocks that people have collected for her. She’s traveling the world!

I will end 2013 with this photo of my daughter Mia with one of her rocks she has collected and a quote that I love about when a child gives you a rock. I would also love to hear any of my fellow bloggers’ stories about their children and rocks as well as any special things that you do for those who have passed. Thank you all for following along. I wish you a very Happy 2014 and a new year of peace and many exciting adventures!

Mia and one of her many rocks she collects with one of my favorite quotes. Happy New Year to you all! xoxo

Mia and one of her many rocks she collects with one of my favorite quotes. Happy New Year from Red Pin Adventures! ~Christine

Dog Sledding with Huskies & Seeing the Northern Lights in Lapland

by Christine M.December 29, 2013

One of the huskies close-up during the ride. This is one of my favorite shots I took from our adventure!

My family and I had the chance to go Dog Sledding with Huskies and also to see the Northern Lights while on our visit to Rovaniemi, Finland a few weeks ago. Our trip to Lapland was one of the most exciting trips that we have ever taken!

Dog sledding with the huskies was probably one of the most exhilarating and relaxing experiences of our lives. The huskies were so excited before we went off for our ride… they kept doing this weird jump that reminded us of a fox while hunting. They couldn’t keep still and could hardly wait to go on the run!! We signed up for a one hour safari at the resort where we were staying (Santa Claus Holiday Village). When we signed up for the safari, we had no idea that my husband would be the one to actually drive the sled. Wow!! He had to go through a little lesson on how to use the brakes by pressing down on a wedge with his foot that went into the snow. He was also told how to assist the huskies while going uphill by pushing off in the snow with his feet. Mia and I sat in the sled and were covered in blankets since we were going on a pretty long ride. There was one sled in front of us with our tour guide and another sled behind us with another dad and his daughter.

After the huskies took off for our ride, all you could hear was Mia and I screaming with such excitement for about 10 minutes straight!! We were not expecting them to go so fast and we also went through such a twisted path at the beginning which went so close to so many big trees covered in snow. We kept thinking our sled was going to run right into them!! After the first 15 minutes of total excitement, we found ourselves in the middle of the most beautiful snow-covered forest. We were able to sit back and truly enjoy being in the Arctic Circle and Lapland! There were moments during the ride that we could not see the sled in front or back of us and it was just my family and I alone with the huskies in the forest. Although our tour started at noon, the sun was already setting around 1:00. The sun would rise around 11:00 and would be set by 2:00, so there was very little daylight there. Here are some of the photos I was able to get while riding in the sled and a few shots from right after our exciting ride:

This is the entrance to the husky sled dogs. It was so beautiful all covered in snow!

I saw this husky sleeping so peacefully in the snow when we first arrived for our sled ride.

Danny and another dad learning how to drive the sleds!

Danny and Mia getting ready for our sled ride.

Mia and I in the sled getting ready for one of the coolest rides of our lives!

The huskies getting ready for our sled ride.

The beautiful huskies getting ready for our sled ride.

The sun setting on our ride in Lapland.

Enjoying the peacefulness… we were all by ourselves with the amazing huskies at this point during the ride.

The beautiful scenery and the sun setting on our sled ride.

The huskies working hard on our ride through a beautiful snow covered forest.

Mia and I right after our exhilarating husky sled ride! Our faces were frozen!

This amazing husky loved on Mia right after our sled ride! So sweet!!

Meeting a cute husky puppy while thawing out by the fire after our sled ride!

We met a cute husky puppy while thawing out by the fire after our sled ride! Our camera was fogged up from the heat in the hut!

Mia enjoying a gingerbread cookie after enjoying the yummy Salmon.

Mia enjoying a gingerbread cookie by the fire after enjoying some yummy Salmon right after our husky sled ride.

This little hut has the best Salmon… cooked over an open flame by Konsta the chef!

One of my dreams has always been to see the Northern Lights in person. We knew that it could be hit or miss when trying to see them. We only had two nights to see them and we had no luck the first night of our trip even though the sky was completely clear that night. So, we had one last night and I was really hoping that we would get to see them on our trip to Lapland. I researched the internet to see what our chances would be that evening and what the best time to go out to look at the sky for them. I found out that the best time would be between 10:00 and 11:00, but we only had a moderate chance of seeing them according to the Auroras Now! website.

It was so cold (-6 F) and we could only stand to be outside for short periods of time, so we got all bundled up and headed outside at around 10:00. We looked around and didn’t see anything and then I noticed a slight arched light gray hazy line about 2 feet in height started to form across the sky not far from the horizon. We decided to climb up this snow mound close to our cabin and waited to see if anything would appear. Then slowly right before our eyes this arched line started to change from the grey to orangish to a bright green!! It would change in shape and disappear and then slowly appear again and at one point took up much of the sky at the horizon. We were in complete shock!!! The whole show only lasted about 20 maybe 25 minutes top. I wish I was better prepared to take photos… I didn’t even have a tripod! I hope that one day we will have the opportunity to go back and I will be able to getter shots. Here is what we were able to get… Not great, but I’m sure you can tell that they are the Northern Lights:

The Northern Lights only gave us a show for about 20 minutes, but it was a dream come true to see them in person!

One of the coolest things we have ever seen!

The Northern Lights in the sky right above where we stayed.

The amazing Northern Lights suddenly appeared in the sky right in front of our eyes!

The snow mound were we viewed the Northern Lights.

I took this shot the next morning before leaving Lapland… this is the snow mound where we viewed the Northern Lights.

I will have one more post to end the craziest and most exciting year of our lives so far. To end 2013, I will share the story of a little angel who has been traveling with my family this past year.

We can now cross off these latest Red Pin Adventures off our travel bucket list:

~~Dog Sledding with Huskies~~

~~Lapland – See the Northern Lights~~

The Magic of Meeting Santa at his Home in the Arctic Circle

by Christine M.December 13, 2013

Mia getting ready to meet Santa’s Reindeer!

This past weekend my family and I took the short 1 hour journey by plane to the beautiful Arctic Circle to visit the “real Santa” in Rovaniemi, Finland. We stayed at a very fun resort for families called Santa Claus Holiday Village where you get to stay in cute cozy cabins which include a sauna in the bathroom. Breakfast, dinner, and wi-fi are also included. Mia and I had never seen so much snow in our lives! The resort was a great experience and had many activities for families to do including: Snowmobile rides, sledding, shopping, restaurants, husky sled rides, Santa’s main post office (where all the children’s letters to Santa arrive), Santa’s ice park, the chance to see the Northern Lights, Santa’s reindeer rides, and of course Santa himself! Here is a link to their website: http://www.santaclausholidayvillage.fi

Here are a few photos from around the resort:

The cozy cabin where we stayed.

The beautiful scenery around the cabins.

Mia’s first experience sledding and seeing so much snow!

We were in love with all of the beautiful trees in Rovaniemi!

Mia and her daddy at the line for the Arctic Circle!

The temperature at the Arctic Circle. Brrrrrr!!!

One of Santa's beautiful reindeer. There are more reindeers than people in Rovaniemi! It was amazing to see a real one in person!

One of Santa’s beautiful reindeer. There are more reindeers than people in Rovaniemi! It was so amazing to see a real one in person!

We decided to travel to a secret place in the middle of the forest to experience the Dream of Joulukka. It was an experience our family will never forget! If you get the chance to experience this through the eyes of a child it is truly a magical and unforgettable experience. A white van came to pick us up at the resort and we stopped to pick up a few others on our way to Joulukka. We drove for about 30 minutes out to what felt like the middle of nowhere into a mystical forest. All of the kids also magically fell asleep on the ride there and back. So, it certainly is a secret place and the kids have no idea where they were! There were 12 of us total on this adventure and we were greeted by a cute little elf! She took us to a cozy hut with a fire pit in the middle which said elf school above the door. Her, another elf and a troll told us elf stories and taught us a few of the elves secrets. We also had fun decorating gingerbread cookies and receiving our Santa’s Helper Diplomas after graduating from elf school!

We made it to Joulukka and were dropped of in the middle of nowhere (a mystical forest)!

The entrance sign for Joulukka.

We were greeted by this cute elf after getting dropped off!

We were greeted by this cute elf with a pointy nose in a red dress after getting dropped off in the forest!

The elves getting ready to take us into their Elf School Hut.

The cozy fire in the Elf School Hut.

We enjoyed decorating gingerbread cookies in the cozy hut!

One of the elves signing our Santa’s Helper Diploma!

Mia’s Diploma after graduating from Elf School. Each of us received one of our own!

After graduating from elf school, the elves took us through a candle lit forest to a fire where they told more stories under the beautiful clear star lit sky of Lapland. We enjoyed roasting marshmallows and sipping on hot chocolate to keep us warm and cozy! We then took another journey through more of the candle lit mystical forest to Santa’s Command Center where we saw many cool things including Santa’s world map, his mail machine, his desk, and at the end we enjoyed a very magical experience of meeting Santa Claus himself!

Our walk through the forest to Santa’s home which was hidden under a huge pile of snow!

The elf doing the secret knock to enter Santa's Home.

The elf had a secret knock to enter Santa’s Home.

Santa’s World Map showing the other command/toy distribution networks around the world!

Santa’s radar and elf cam!

Santa's mail delivery machine delivers children's letters to him no matter where he is!

Mia putting a letter into Santa’s mail delivery machine which delivers children’s letters to him no matter where he is!

After going through a secret door, we met Santa himself! Mia had the opportunity to tell him what she dreamed of for Christmas and Santa also presented her with a gift (we secretly gave it to an elf ahead of time) and he even walked outside in the snow to talk with us before we left his home in the forest!

Mia telling Santa what she dreamed of for Christmas this year!

Mia receiving her special gift from Santa!

Mia with Santa and one of his elves in the snow-covered forest at his home!

Here is a link to the Dream of Joulukka Santa experience:

http://www.joulukka.com/programs/dream-of-joulukka/

My next post about Rovaniemi will include our Husky Sled Ride experience and seeing the Northern Lights! We can now mark another Red Pin Adventure off our travel bucket list:

~~Visit the Arctic Circle & Santa Claus~~

Like Stepping Right into a Fairytale… Tallinn, Estonia

by Christine M.August 21, 2013

I thought this red door behind me was really beautiful! There is so much character in all of the buildings in Old Town Tallinn.

We decided to take an impromptu trip to another country this weekend. There is a cruise ship port only a 10-minute walk from our apartment, and we have been seeing the ships come in and out of the port from our patio. We walked over with just a small backpack and were able to purchase tickets over to the picturesque town of Tallinn, Estonia. We took the Eckero Line M/S Finlandia ship and chose the cabin for the return back so that we could sleep after a lot of walking and exploring. We had also heard that The Finns like to take a trip to Estonia to purchase cheaper alcohol and cigarettes. This was certainly true as we saw many people with carts loaded to the top with cases and cases of beer on the return trip to Finland!

We were pleasantly surprised with this charming place which is only a 2-hour cruise ride from Helsinki. It truly felt as though we had stepped off the cruise ship and landed right into a little Fairytale. We spent a very relaxing 5-hours exploring the Old Town area and then returned to the port for the short 2-hour trip back to Helsinki.

Here are a few photos from our adventure this past weekend in Tallinn, Estonia (click on photos for a larger image):

Where we enjoyed a nice relaxing lunch. The Olde Hansa in Tallinn.

The Olde Hansa in Tallinn. Where we enjoyed a nice relaxing lunch.

The inside of the Olde Hansa Restaurant.

A beautiful apple tree in front of a really cool looking building.

I thought this apple tree was so beautiful in front of this very interesting building.

The beautiful St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.

Mia and I with Shrek and Donkey!

This statement was on one of the walls as we walked through Old Town. The Century is yours.

I just love the architecture in Old Town.

Mia enjoying our little lunch break outside at the Olde Hansa Restaurant.

We enjoyed saying hello to the Naked Invisible Man at the Viru Gates. 😉

The cruise ship we took over to Estonia.

We really enjoyed our latest Red Pin Adventure to Tallinn, Estonia this past weekend and can now cross it off our Travel Bucket List:

~~Tallinn, Estonia~~

We are Now Official Finland Residents… We have a Sauna in our New Place

by Christine M.August 16, 2013

Saunas were invented in Finland and are a very important part of the culture here. There are only around 5 million people in the entire country (there are around 20 million just in the state of Florida where we just moved from). We have heard that there are over 2 million saunas here in Finland. That’s a lot of saunas for only 5 million people! And I know what you are wondering… and the answer is YES, they do go naked here in their saunas!! We have also heard that sometimes after a sauna they also go jump in a hole in the ice into the freezing water of a lake or ocean… and yes, still naked!! Yikes! I wouldn’t mind trying this, but only if I had a wetsuit on!

When we were looking for an apartment here, we were very surprised that pretty much all of them included a sauna. When we came to look at our apartment, I remember us looking at the sauna and thinking that it could be another bedroom or a walk-in-closet! The apartments are much more expensive here and a lot smaller, so we were thinking of other uses for the space at first!

Well, we moved into our place about 2 weeks ago, and decided to give this sauna thing a try. We were also battling a cold that we picked up from our London trip and thought that maybe the sauna would help a little. Our first evening trying it out ended up with me at one point coughing like crazy and having to run out of it!!! I think we were way too excited about pouring the water from our wooden spoon and bucket into the sauna heater with the rocks! All that steam just about killed me!! Lol

We have used our sauna about 5 times so far and have learned not to pour so much water into it anymore and are beginning to love the experience now! I am starting to wonder how we ever lived without one!! No wonder Finland has saunas everywhere. The Finns love their saunas, am I am finally understanding why. You feel so relaxed after the sauna, and are able to go right to bed afterwards and sleep like a baby. This is great for me since I have always been a night owl and now I am finally able to get to bed earlier!

Here are a few photos from our sauna:

Our sauna heater with the cool rocks… still not too sure if we are using this thing correctly.

Eukalyptus mix that we used while we were battling our colds and our wooden spoon and bucket.

Eucalyptus mix that we used while we were battling our colds and our wooden spoon and bucket.

Starting to heat up the sauna… this is our temperature gauge.

Our sauna has two platforms to lay on and a moveable bench on the floor.

I’m sure this Florida girl we will be hibernating in our sauna this winter! I’m not going to want to leave the apartment once it starts snowing here, but at least I will have our sauna to thaw out in! 🙂

The Tall Ships Races 2013 in Helsinki, Finland

by Christine M.July 21, 2013

Above photo: The breathtaking Mexican Tall Ship, Cuauhtemoc!

Above photo: My favorite photo I took from the event, the breathtaking Mexican Tall Ship, Cuauhtemoc!

What an exciting time to arrive in Finland! We were very excited to be able to experience The Tall Ships Races right here in the neighborhood that we just moved to!

Over 100 vessels were here this weekend for the races which began on July 17th and continued until July 20th. The event ended with the Parade of Sails, when the ships go onto the next Tall Ships Races location, the Port of Riga, Latvia. The races will later end in Szczecin, Poland the first week of August, 2013.

We enjoyed viewing all of the beautiful ships on Thursday, July 17th after they were all docked:

The highlight of the event was watching the departure of all of the beautiful ships during the Parade of Sails event on Saturday, July 20th:

Mia enjoying the Parade of Sails!

Mia and I having a great time on Saturday!

We were a little sad to have to say goodbye to all of the ships. What an amazing experience it was to see so many beautiful vessels in one weekend/location:

For more information on this event, please visit:
http://www.tallshipsraceshelsinki.fi/

After 30 years… Our trip back to my homeland: The Beautiful Island of Okinawa, Japan!

by Christine M.June 27, 2013

The big day is almost here… We will be flying to Finland tomorrow!!! It has been a very busy week getting everything packed, but we are looking forward to starting our new adventure! I am finally posting the photos from our trip back to my homeland. It was an amazing experience and also a very emotional one. It was so nice to see all of our family in Japan after so many years and also to meet many of them who were not born until after we moved away. I had forgotten how beautiful it was… It felt like we were in paradise!!

First evening in Okinawa. Dinner with some of our family!
June 5, 2013. — at Okinawa｜沖縄.

Our first evening together with our family!

What an amazing view! at Itoman-Shi, Okinawa.

Such a peaceful place! — in Itoman-shi, Okinawa.

My mom at the WWII memorial site. She is pointing out her uncle and great grandfather.

The Cornerstone of Peace Memorial.

Mia and her daddy enjoying some beach time at sunset. — at Araha Beach Okinawa Japan.

So cool… meeting my Aunt for the first time at the airport and her purse matched my wallet! I gave it to her as a gift before we left! 🙂

Mia and her cousin feeding Koi fish.

This is a cave that I visited 30 years ago on a school field trip! It was amazing! — at Gyokusendou Caves.

Mia and I with our cousin — at Gyokusendou Caves.

At Gyokusendou Caves.

A beautiful waterfall in the cave. — at Gyokusendou Caves.

Being brave at the Habu Snake show! — at Habu Museum Park, Okinawa.

Having fun on our last full day in Okinawa! — at Okinawa world.

Mia and I having fun in front of the beautiful Shisa dogs. — at Okinawa world.

At my Aunt’s home for an amazing family dinner!

Our family butsudan at my Aunt’s house.

Mia and her cousin having fun!

Danny enjoying some good food and drink!

Mia and I on the balcony where we are staying in Okinawa... very close to where I was born! June 9, 2013. — at Okinawa｜沖縄.

Mia and I on the balcony where we stayed in Okinawa… very close to where I was born! June 9, 2013. — at Okinawa｜沖縄.

Danny and I at the beach where we stayed. We are very happy to be back together again! ♥

Mia having fun at the playground close to where we are staying... June 9, 2013. — at Pirate Ship Park, Araha Beach.

Mia having fun at the playground close to where we stayed… June 9, 2013. — at Pirate Ship Park, Araha Beach.

Our family at my Aunt’s house.

Mia and her cousin enjoying the yummy dinner my Aunt's family prepared for us. It was amazing!!

Mia and her cousin enjoying the yummy dinner my family prepared for us. It was amazing!!

Mia playing with all of her cousins! They had a blast together!

Mia and her cousin. They are the same age and only one day apart! March 15th and March 16th. 🙂

Mia trying on her cousin’s cool school backpack.

At Camp Lester… where I was born!

My mom and I in front of the hospital where my older brother and I were born in the same room, by the same doctor, and exactly two years apart!

Where it all began… My mom and I in front of the hospital where my older brother and I were born in the same room, by the same doctor, and exactly two years apart! We were told that this hospital would be torn down later this year. So glad that we made it back when we did!

The glass bottom boat tour to see all of the beautiful coral and fish. It was unbelievable!

We had a lot of fun on a glass bottom boat tour to see all of the beautiful coral and fish. It was unbelievable!

Having fun on the glass bottom boat ride!

Mia and I on the beach. Mia and her daddy drew a note in the sand for me. :)

Mia and I on the beach. Mia and her daddy made a note in the sand for me. 🙂

My family enjoying an afternoon together at the beautiful aquarium…. — at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium.

Entrance to the Churaumi Aquarium.

Mia and I enjoying the beautiful view… — at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium.

An amazing tank at the Aquarium!

Mia posing with a cool fish at the aquarium.

At my family gravesite. Reunited with my mom’s Uncle and his wife. We had to cut through the jungle behind us to get to it…. Luckily, there were about 12 of us to hike through it together. Yikes!!!

We made it through the jungle to my family’s gravesite.

Danny introduced my Great Aunt to Angry Birds! Now all of my family in Okinawa are playing the game!

This was on the drive to Motobu to visit my family’s gravesite.

Grocery shopping… Holy Daikon! — at Okinawa｜沖縄.

Our last dinner in Okinawa. We miss all of the yummy food!

I will end with my favorite photo from our trip. Mia couldn't stop laughing from these Doctor Fish! ;)

I will end with one of my favorite photos from our trip. Mia couldn’t stop laughing from these Doctor Fish! 😉

Our exciting adventure in Tokyo, Japan

by Christine M.June 25, 2013

This post will include some of the photos from the Tokyo area of our trip and the next post will include photos from our visit to my homeland: the beautiful Island of Okinawa, Japan. We really enjoyed our trip to the Tokyo area of Japan and were able to experience many beautiful sights as well as some amazing food! Visiting the Tokyo area was a first for all of us and the most exciting part was our ride on a bullet train! Wow, what an amazing experience that was!! I’m sure the look on all of our faces after the first one flew by us while we were waiting for our train was priceless! The sound of them flying by will certainly make you jump and say, “Wow!!!!!” right afterwards!

The highlight of our trip for Mia was when we visited the location of the Hachiko statue from her favorite movie, Hachi: A Dog’s Tale.