The other night I went for veggie sushi with one of my best friends and she wanted to know all about my trip to Japan. It seemed appropriate to have a Japanese meal.
I shared that I stayed near the Chinatown in Yokohama, and her reaction was, “Chinatown in Japan?!”
I know, right?!
Yokohama Chinatown reminded me a lot of China — Music! Lanterns! Dumplings! It’s in your face in the most beautiful way. Check it out…
Yokohama is Japan’s largest city. What I loved the most was the feeling of being on the off-beaten path. You don’t see as many foreigners as you do in Tokyo.
The pier is one of the most notable and iconic aspects of Yokohama. There’s a lot to do on this waterfront such as visiting to the CUPNOODLES museum (!!!), the Yokohama Landmark Tower (epic boutiques, coffee, and art), the Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse, and of course, the Ferris Wheel at the Cosmo World amusement park.
When the Yokohama Ferris Wheel, Cosmo Clock 21, first opened in 1992 it was the largest ferris wheel in the world! The view of Yokohama surrounding areas was beyond words. The most impressive was seeing the sun set over Mt. Fuji.
As you’ll see below, Yokohama won me over.
What is your favorite waterfront city?
What are you noticing in your life? What are you focusing on?
Travel can be a great mirror for what we value. When I return from travels, I look back on the photos I took. What did I see? What did I stop to notice? What did I value?
As you’ll see from my travels to Berkeley, I took a lot of photos of flowers, art, and architecture. The sky is pretty gray for most of the day, which causes color to pop when you see it. The contrast of the gray sky made me appreciate color so much more.
This makes me question how I live my life when I’m not traveling. I realized that in my day-to-day life I rarely stop to notice, or take photos, of things I see. I realized that there are so many ways to incorporate adventure and inspiration into our daily lives. It doesn’t just need to be when we’re traveling.
So why don’t we?
What would our lives look like if we allowed ourselves to see it, and act on it, like travel or adventure?
It was more beautiful than I imagined.
I’ve driven over a lot of bridges. And, like you, have seen so many photos of The Golden Gate Bridge in movies and TV shoes (Full House, anyone?). I really figured it would be like, “oh cool, I can scratch that off my list”. But you know, it wasn’t like that at all! As we drove closer to the bridge I got more and more excited. I wanted to take photos but not lose the excitement of the moment. I wanted to soak it in. I opted for very few photos and decided to enjoy the drive.
I was still really excited when we got to the other side. There’s a little rest area, Bridge Plaza, that allows you to park and take the very iconic photos we are all used to seeing. The photos of the bridge look like a backdrop. Oh, and the bridge really is as orange as it looks, and a lot bigger than I imagined.
Seeing this bridge in person was like that awesome feeling of accomplishing your goals. Achieving them always seems so distant and far away at first until you get closer to them. And the closer you get, the more excited you become. Just a friendly reminder to never give up on your dreams. Whether you want to accomplish something or go somewhere, keep going. I believe in you.
happy exploring!
Olivia
I love that lately the weather has been perfect for wandering around Providence. This Fall, I’ve had the chance to explore the East Side- and I love it. There are so many museums, libraries, and historic buildings that are open to the public that I never knew about.
The architecture and view of Providence in this area is stunning. I am always searching for a new perspective on this old city.
***
I realized when I have a new perspective, I discover so many new things around me. I wonder what else I’ll discover.
xx,
Olivia
// all photography by Olivia //
