🗼 Day Four - July 15th: Plans Were Made… Then We Laughed at Them
Sorry for the radio silence, friends. I know I promised nightly updates, but here’s the truth: the past two days have been one big detour. Like, "you’re not even on the same continent as your itinerary" kind of detour. I’ll unpack that in the next blog, but for now, let’s rewind to Day Four—because this one deserves a moment.
Another day in this beautiful country, and I fall more in love with Japan every minute. It’s hard to explain, but being here feels like being wrapped in a warm, quiet blanket—the kind that smells like green tea, sounds like silence, and makes you forget what stress ever felt like. The pace, the kindness, the humility—there’s just a softness to everything. I’m calmer here. I feel like the best version of myself here. And if I could live anywhere in the world, without hesitation—it would be here.
And one person who clearly feels the same? Slade. I joke a lot, but this trip has brought me so much unexpected joy just watching him reconnect—with the culture, the language, the streets, even the vending machines. Japan is his comfort zone, his second home, his soul’s reset button—and he’s diving into it like he’s making up for lost time. Because… well, he is.
But it’s not just about the food. What really amazes me is how much Japanese he still knows. I always knew Sachiko (Slade’s childhood nanny) had given him a strong foundation when he was little, but seeing him now—confidently ordering meals, helping us navigate, casually chatting with shopkeepers like it’s no big deal—it’s emotional. I just wish Sachiko could see it. I wish she could see what a remarkable young man he’s become—and how the love, patience, and language she poured into him are still very much alive.
Sachiko, if you ever read this—please know: you helped shape who he is. He carries you with him in every word he speaks.
💔 We reached out to Sachiko, but her mother is very sick, and she understandably couldn’t meet up with us. It’s heartbreaking, but we know her heart is exactly where it needs to be right now. Still… we’re holding onto hope that someday in the near future, we’ll get to see her again. It’s been too many years, and we’d love for her to see just how far her little boy has come.
🥱 Morning Recap: Reality Check, Party of Two
Slade and Tara were up again with the sun—around 6:30 AM—roaming the hotel and snacking like they were on a mission from the gods of Family Mart (Japan’s version of 7-Eleven, if 7-Eleven had pride, ambition, and gourmet-level meals).
Family Mart Noodle and Fresh Food Selection
Michael and I, on the other hand, rolled out of bed around 8:30, and I’ll be honest—I felt like I’d been hit by a sightseeing bus driven by my own ambition. I may have slightly overestimated my ability to run a jam-packed itinerary. I forgot it’s been 12 years since our last big international adventure—and since then, our vacations have mostly been cruises: wake up, find the best buffet, order a cocktail, gamble a little, hit a different buffet, repeat for seven days. No steps required. Honestly, that’s probably why I’m 100 pounds heavier and 100% less prepared for staircases.
Oh—and while the rest of us were still debating whether to get up or slip back into a food coma, Michael was already deep into his day, thanks to a 4 AM work meeting. Because apparently, the Marine Corps and deadlines don’t care what time zone you’re in—or how badly you need sleep in Tokyo. Rest is optional. Deadlines are not.
🍳 Breakfast: Meh and Meaningful
We offered to take Slade and Tara to breakfast at the hotel, but they passed—off on another Family Mart run like the snack scavengers they are.
Michael and I had a very average breakfast downstairs. I had biscuits and gravy. He had a breakfast burrito. Nothing worth raving about, but it was something warm, and that was good enough.
Afterward, we grabbed our laptops and found a quiet corner in the hotel—Michael dove into Marine Corps work, and I finally sat down to catch my breath and write this blog. It felt good to slow down for a moment and soak it all in. In the heart of Tokyo, with the city buzzing just outside, there was something peaceful about sitting side by side—focused, quiet, and present—while the kids went off and created their own version of this adventure.
Meanwhile… shocker… the kids were hungry again and came back from another round of sushi just in time for lunch. They were sweet enough to bring us curry from CoCo Ichibanya, which marked my third day in a row eating there. Do I regret it? Not even a little. If Slade gets to make up for eight years of missed comfort food, I’ll happily join him.
After lunch, we all agreed on one thing: it was way too hot and rainy to be running around Tokyo in the middle of the afternoon. The air felt like soup, and my feet were staging a silent protest. So we made a collective decision to wait until after sunset to explore. The hope was that the rain would ease up, the sun would back off, and we’d get a few hours of cooler (and slightly less sticky) adventure time. Plus, it gave everyone a chance to recharge—Michael went off to gamble, Slade and Tara hit the streets for round who-even-knows of snacks, and I took a much-needed nap that may or may not have included drooling.
📆 What We Planned vs. What Actually Happened
📝 The Plan:
Immerse ourselves in interactive art at teamLab Planets
Catch skyline views at Tokyo Skytree before sunset
Shop the streets of Omotesando or Ginza
Swing swords at the Samurai Museum in Shinjuku
End the night under the neon lights of Golden Gai, toasting to a perfect Tokyo stay
🎯 The Reality:
Slade and Tara: awake at dawn and on their third meal before breakfast
Michael: attending international meetings at 4 AM and a bit of gambling
Me: hit by a metaphysical bus called "Overbooked Schedule"
Tara and Slade went on a six-meal snack crawl
Me: strongly considering orthopedic shoes and a career in napping
Our big adventure? Shibuya Crossing and Tokyo Tower, totally off-script… and totally worth it
So… no Skytree. No samurai. No Godzilla. But you know what we did get? Laughter, shawarma, and a surprise panic attack 557 feet in the air. And honestly, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
🌆 Evening Adventures: Shibuya, Fast Cars & Facing Fear
After my surprise nap turned into a mild coma, I woke up at 7:30 PM in a full-blown panic because no one had woken me. Turns out Tara and Slade were (you guessed it) eating again, and Michael was still downstairs gambling. Everyone was thriving.
We finally rallied and took the train to Shibuya Crossing, where Tara and Slade grabbed photos at the world’s busiest intersection.
Slade basically floated off the ground when he spotted a Skyline GTR straight out of Fast & Furious. The owner was cool enough to let him take a photo, and suddenly the streets were filled with car guys showing off their souped-up rides. Slade was living his best Vin Diesel moment.
Dinner plans were up in the air (because miraculously, Slade wasn’t hungry), but Tara was ready to try something new. We found a Turkish food truck, and she ordered her first-ever shawarma. The vendor, mid-conversation with Slade, accidentally made it with beef instead of chicken. My stomach dropped—I really wanted her to find something she liked.
And wouldn’t you know it—she loved it. Like, practically inhaled it. Score one for Mom.
🗼 Tokyo Tower: Panic at 557 Feet
Next stop: Tokyo Tower. Instead of braving the train system again, we splurged on a taxi—$18 for nine blissful minutes of air conditioning and not being lost. Worth every yen.
I had done zero research on the tower. I knew it was tall and looked cool in pictures. That’s it. So imagine my surprise when we bought tickets and were told we could go all the way up—to 250 meters in the air.
We boarded the first elevator and reached the 150-meter platform. The doors opened, we stepped out, looked down… and immediately regretted all our life choices. I’ve always known I’m afraid of heights, but what I didn’t know—and what Slade clearly didn’t know either—is that he’s just as bad. Maybe worse. We both had the same survival instinct: lie down, hold onto the floor, and pretend we were anywhere else.
Meanwhile, Tara was fearless—smiling, relaxed, and completely unable to understand what had the two of us in full panic mode.
After some deep breathing and a mutual “let’s not wimp out” pact, Slade and I decided to go higher. YOLO, right? We took the second elevator up to what we assumed was the top and honestly, we were proud of ourselves. We survived. We posed for a photo like champions. We even started to relax a little.
And then the guide smiled sweetly and said the worst words imaginable: “Please make your way to the next elevator—we're going all the way up now.”
Slade and I froze. That wasn’t the top? That was just a bench stop? We still had another 80 meters to go? At that point, our courage expired. We tapped out. Tara, of course, was ready to keep going but graciously stayed back with us. She didn’t even make fun of us. (Okay, not too much.) So, no pictures from 170 Meters, because I was justtrying to survive.
So no—we didn’t reach the real top of Tokyo Tower. But we went far enough to panic (170 meters), pose for the overpriced photo, and bond over a shared fear of falling off perfectly safe structures. And honestly? That’s our kind of summit.
🛏️ Final Thoughts Before Kyoto
We made it back to the hotel and collapsed—me, Michael, Slade, Tara, and every aching muscle I forgot I had.
So no, we didn’t follow the plan. The humidity was ruthless, the vending machines were too tempting, and Tokyo Tower gave us a mild existential crisis. But we laughed. We ate (a lot). And we made the kind of memories that never show up on a travel brochure.
Because here’s the thing: the best parts of this trip? They’re not coming from the itinerary. They’re coming from the detours.
And in Japan, even the detours feel like exactly where we’re meant to be.
Tomorrow we head to Kyoto—but today? Today was a win.
We may not have conquered our checklist, but we conquered something better: laughter, connection, and a little more of Japan than we planned on. Tonight, we rest full, grateful, and totally off-script.
Thanks for taking this detour with us. More to come, I promise!
Kolleen
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