About

About Me

Hi, I’m a Japanese traveler based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and I work full-time in healthcare.

I’m also a bit of a cautious traveler. I often travel solo and I’m not the kind of person who can simply show up somewhere and “wing it.” I like to know what I’m getting into – how to get there, where to stay, what’s worth seeing, what can go wrong, and how to make the most of my limited time.

That might sound like a lot of work but I actually enjoy the research. I love digging into maps, transportation options, neighborhoods, hotels, itineraries, and all the little details that can make a trip easier and more enjoyable.

Because I work full-time, I don’t have unlimited vacation days. I usually travel several times a year within the U.S. and visit Japan once or twice a year. That makes every trip feel valuable. I want to use my time well – not necessarily by cramming everything into a schedule but by making thoughtful choices about where to spend my time.

My favorite trips are usually car-free urban adventures in cities with culture and history. I also love occasional escapes into nature when I need to reset. I’m not an adrenaline-seeking traveler. I’m more interested in experiencing a place in a way that feels meaningful and manageable to me.

Why I Started This Blog

I started this blog partly because I realized how much research I was already doing for my own trips.

I would spend hours comparing hotels, figuring out airport transportation, studying maps, reading reviews, and working out the most efficient way to see a place. Eventually, I thought: If I’m doing all this research anyway, why not share it?

So that’s what I do here.

I do the heavy research, test things for myself whenever I can, and share what I learn so you can spend less time dealing with travel friction and more time enjoying your trip.

A Gentle Commitment to Myself

There’s another reason why I started this blog.

It’s easy to tell ourselves that we’re too busy, that there will be more time later, or that we’ll travel when life becomes less complicated. As a full-time professional, I understand that feeling.

For me, this blog is a gentle commitment to myself – to keep making time for travel, to stay curious, and to enjoy life instead of always waiting for the “right” time or the right travel companions.

I used to wait for someone to travel with me but the right time rarely comes at the same time for everyone. Friends may only be able to travel during school breaks, partners may not be as interested in traveling, and life circumstances are always changing. If I kept waiting, I could be waiting for a very long time.

So I stopped waiting.

I often travel solo now – not because I don’t enjoy traveling with others but because I don’t want my life to be put on hold while I wait for someone else’s schedule to line up with mine.

Writing about my travels gives me a little extra motivation to actually go, explore, and make the most of the time I have.

I hope this blog encourages you to do the same: don’t wait for the perfect time, the perfect circumstances, or the perfect travel companion to start enjoying the life you have.

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