The story of how I ended up in Gatlinburg, TN is a very relatable one to anyone who had anything remotely exciting planned for 2020. In my case, I was one of many brides who had to cancel, postpone, or adapt their honeymoons because of safety regulations and travel bans.
These days, it’s hard to go on Instagram, for me anyways, without seeing an ad for a subscription box. I mean, they exist for everythingggg. Admittedly, I had never tried one non-food related until now, when I went for it and signed up for the Causebox (now Alltrue).
After the most amazing memories, our trip to Japan and Taiwan was coming to a close… but not before some more incredible stops! We got to visit the Taiwan Stock Exchange, have a seven-course meal, visit the National Palace, and explore the Tapei 101, which stands at the 11th tallest building in the world. Keep reading for these adventures and more, including me getting my first gel mani!
After almost missing our flight from Japan, we landed safely in Taiwan. Although I didn’t entirely know what to expect, Taiwan entirely exceeded my expectations! While there, we stayed in the famous Grand Hotel Tapei and I got to slide down the world’s longest secret slide. We explored a mining town in the mountains and did a sky lantern release. We also visited a famous Night Market, where they sell all kinds of goods and crazy foods. I did soooo much shopping that I actually won a “shopaholic” award!
Japan is such a cultural-rich and wonderful place to visit. The second half of my trip certainly did not disappoint. I visited temples, the Yokohama Sankeien Garden, and the Cup Noodle Museum, which displays tons of instant noodles and instant noodle art. I also had the pleasure of visiting Shibuya, which is really techy and most comparable to an Asian Times Square. Here I got to see live Mario Kart!!
My last semester of college, I took an International Human Resources Management study abroad course to Japan and Taiwan to fulfill my international business minor. The day after graduating, I woke up at 4 AM in my empty dorm room and headed to the airport with my friend, Kaitlin to embark on a two-week, study abroad trip to Taiwan and Japan. As part of our class requirements, we had to create “blog posts” of our experiences. This chronicles the first part of my Japan Trip including the long flight, Tokyo Stock Exchange, and unique foods.