Postcard: A rainy day in Seoul, South Korea

My mom and I have this unspoken tradition of traveling to one international destination every year. In 2018, we decided to go to South Korea again -- primarily because she was in the midst of a busy travel year with my dad. We figured South Korea was a lot more accessible to Hawaii than Europe…

Postcard 40: Surviving Typhoon Hagibis in Japan

One of my greatest fears when traveling to Asia anytime from summer through fall is being there during typhoon season. In 2018, I was in Seoul when Typhoon Kong-Rey slammed Busan, the southern part of South Korea. The day it hit, what was supposed to be a pleasant outdoor walk around a palace quickly turned…

Postcard 39: Tokyo Disneyland & DisneySea

After a memorable past few days in Okinawa, we were now ready to fly to Tokyo for the second half of our trip! The next few days would entail stops at Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea -- in the Chiba region -- followed by a weekend in the Shinagawa district of Tokyo. Little did I…

Postcard 38: Whale sharks at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

One of the attractions I had been looking forward to visiting the most in Okinawa was the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. Now, you might be wondering why a girl from Hawaii -- who's surrounded by marine life and has the Honolulu Aquarium and Maui Ocean Center right at her fingertips -- would be interested in going…

Postcard 37: Okinawa World’s snakes and cave

If you would've told me I'd ever touch a snake in my lifetime, I would've said you were crazy. But that's exactly what I did in Okinawa. After visiting the Shuri Castle and then grabbing a quick udon lunch in Naha, my family and I boarded our private tour bus and traveled roughly 8 miles…