...and we're back from our epic vacation adventure. Maybe it's our go-go-go New Yorker nature, but we managed to pack so much into our trip. I don't think I've even fully processed everything that we did and saw!
As I mentioned before, we barely did any planning. In fact, both of us stayed up late meeting deadlines before rushing to the airport. That worked to our advantage, because I slept for much of the 14-hour flight and one-hour train into the city. Stepping out into the heart of Shibuya was surreal: Immediately, I was overwhelmed by the bustling crowds and bright lights. It felt like Times Square on steroids! Our hotel was only a block away. We stayed at the Shibuya Excel, which had an incredible view of the famously hectic crossing. From our birds-eye view, the crowds resembled tiny ants.
We spent most of our time in Tokyo soaking up the city. Since it's the epicenter of streetwear fashion (it's where Erik started his company), he went nuts in all of the stores for research. I mostly people-watched. My verdict: Japanese people are ridiculously stylish and attractive. Between stores, we ate our fill of sushi, ramen, chicken wings, and more. Yum!
It was fun to experience Erik's version of Tokyo, since he lived there on-and-off for months at a time back in 2004. I cracked up at his "Japanese," which was basically pronouncing English words in their cadence. I have to admit, though, everyone understood him, while they blinked at me in puzzlement. We also met up with some of Erik's friends, who were so sweet.
Randomly, our friend Glenna was also in Tokyo at the same time. She wound up coming out with us that night to see Erik's friend DJ Hazime spin at a hip-hop club. Tokyo nightlife is so lovely! Everyone was so polite, and there are even lockers in the clubs so you don't have to lug around your bag. Genius.
All in all, it was an incredible experience! I tend to be more of a beachy-backpacker vacationer, but Tokyo is such a unique city. I can't wait to go back.
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