Autumn in Nikko

Nikko has long been in the list of places I wanna go to in Japan because it's home to many shrines and heritages plus the leaves turn into gorgeous reds, yellows, and browns come autumn. Spring last year, I was able to go there for a day trip, however I wasn't able to go to a single shrine- I went to Edo Wonderland. Then come autumn that year, I was asked by my good friend Laila to join her and her church friends for a day trip to Nikko for some autumn sightseeing. Alas, I could visit world heritage sites and shrines, I thought. But we didn't.

I'm thankful that we didn't, though. I was able to see more of Nikko as it is, minus the very crowded shrines and the sea of touristsー I was able to see Nikko stripped of my expectations of what it should look like as dictated by the countless photos I've been fed with through years of "research" aka Google ha~

Soooo without further ado, let me share with y'all... NIKKO, a shotgun trip (cos we didn't even have an itinerary, only a car and seven people hungry for adventures *wink*)

Met at and left Shibuya a little after six in the morning, tummies packed with Mcdonald's breakfast meals and leftover dinner. I was excited, geez, I didn't even catch some zzzzzzzzs even if I'm not the designated driver cos how can you be sleepy when throughout the trip you're laughing??? Best road trip mates everrrr, even if most of them I've only met that day!

FIRST STOP: IROHAZAKA WINDING ROAD

SECOND STOP: AKECHIDAIRA PLATEAU, ROPEWAY RIDE, MAGNIFICENT VIEW OF KEGON FALLS

THIRD STOP:  RYUZU FALLS

FOURTH STOP: LAKE CHUZENJI 
(AND A RANDOM PARKING LOT LOL)

PASSED BY SHINKYO BRIDGE 
ON OUR WAY TO THE NEXT DESTINATION

FIFTH STOP: KINUTATEIWA OTSURIBASHI 
SUSPENSION BRIDGE

SIXTH STOP: RYUOKYO GORGE, NIJIMINOTAKI FALLS

 Wew! That was pretty long for a day trip, I know! I was so tired and hungry as we drove our way back to Tokyo (I may or may not have slept through the whole trip back lol) but it was one helluva great day! The pictures were just taken by random phone cameras so it might not give that much justice as to how beautiful the places we went were... so I suggest go and find out these gems for yourselves if you haven't yet! *wink*

MIND-FART#20: No Love, Just Med School Regrets

I thought I've already forgotten. Guess I'm not over it yet. 

The last time I talked about it with my Mama was when I got here in Tokyo five years ago. Geez, that was five years already? Time flies swiftly.

Back in university, I was under a pre-medicine program (though any four year course can be a pre-med one but you know, I'm talking about the closely-related ones), Biology. I majored in Zoology, which is the closest thing I can major in (see UPLB Biology) if I'm planning to enter med school after. I didn't take language electives and took more units (BOT142-Economic Botany and ZOO191-Special Topics: Animals in Biomedical Research) in preparation for med school. I even took the grueling National Medical Admission Test/ NMAT, a nationwide examination that one needs to take if he/she wants to enter any medical school in the Philippines. I had a pretty okay score, which would allow me to enter some schools... if only I pushed through with it. I didn't. 

I left for Tokyo. Not because I wanted to but because I needed to. There was this citizenship change (which I'm thankful for, now). There was also this thinking that I had to stop being a burden to my Mama (hahahaha) and work. Back then, I thought I could just look for a med school here, study, and do part-time work. That would've worked out if I only had millions of money in my bank account and if I had great Japanese language skills. I had neither. I still have neither even now lol.

So I pretty much let it go and settled for a job that would feed my family, instead. For someone who is bad at Japanese, working as an English teacher is an easier choice (for me, compared to some other ones). So I traversed that path. I am still in that path. To be fair, I think teaching has grown into me. I enjoy it. It's a tiring yet very fulfilling profession. But it's okay. I'm doing okay with it. I studied some teaching stuff and got myself a teaching diploma. I even wanted to put up my own school at one point.

Not until I came across with a sponsored ad on Facebook about an international medical school orientation in Tokyo, which I later saw on Instagram. And here I am now, thinking, is it a sign?

Should I go? It's just an orientation anyway. Should I try it? Will it just be a waste of time? For days since seeing that ad, these are the things occupying my mind. Not to mention the disadvantages I'd have if I ever I feel crazy enough to push through with med school at 26 years old. I know age is just a number but you see, my mind is not as sharp as before (as if it was even sharp to begin with hahahaha). And lots of other mountain-like doubts.

So what's the point of this post?

I don't know either. 

Karuizawa Days

Been wanting to visit Karuizawa for the longest time. For some reason, my preschool/kinder students always bring home omiyage/souvenirs from that place... one of my conversation students owns a rest house in the area... that's enough for me to want to check what the little area in Nagano is all about. Off I went two weekends ago. The beau tagged along, of course. 

No itinerary...
Just three days and two nights of nature, onsen, food, and good company~

Hope you enjoyed this photolog of what transpired during our very chill Karuizawa trip! We literally just ate, slept, and breathed nature in! Sometimes, it doesn't hurt to take a break from our usual busy lives and just breathe.