A long overdue post but such an amazing walk down memory lane. Plus, this is where it started really.
Spring 2015 I was in school, majoring in Visual Arts & Photography while Vicente (my not even then boyfriend) was stationed overseas in Misawa AB in Northern Japan. I know when people think of Japan, they either think of Tokyo or Okinawa because I know that’s what I thought!
Vicente asked (repeatedly, over and over, convincing) me to fly to Japan to visit him for two weeks in April and eventually I did agree and flights were booked and I flew to Japan on my first solo flight at 21 literally across the world to go visit.
And what an amazing trip. We called it official between us and began dating when I arrived which was really fun to recall our first date. Vicente worked on F-16’s while there and they were having a family day where they could bring their family out to the jets to see up close and sit in. So on our first date, that’s where we went. He put me in the cockpit of a F-16 and we explored the small Japanese town where the base was.
It was so incredibly gorgeous there and happened to be in the midst of cherry blossom season which I was over the moon about! I just wish I had been a better photographer back then but that just means we’ll have to take a return trip in the future!
We explored throughout the few weeks, visiting the markets in Hatchinohe, seeing the wild ponies, aquariums, shrines and deep caverns. We watched sunrises and sunsets at the beach and just walked around getting to explore anything and everything together with no set itinerary in mind. Getting to taste authentic Japanese ramen at his favorite ramen spot in Misawa and being on the hunt for a ramen that’s just as good back home in Richmond.
And of course, going to the cherry blossom festival at Hirosaki Park and falling totally in love with Japan and everything there.
A few photos of my time in Japan don’t do it justice and how incredible it really was.
So a few photos for now while I dream of our return trip one day in the future 😉
The world’s blurriest iPhone photo but a forever favorite. 
