Carnival

1.

1. It’s Story time.

When I was a senior in high school, my mother offered me a proposition. When I graduated, I could either have a grad party, or a trip to Japan using flight benefits. When I immediately chose the latter, she offered me another: you can either go to Japan with me, or your best friend. Guess who I picked?

Ryn and I (left to right, respectively) at Koishikawa Korakuen, a botanical garden next to Tokyo Dome City in Tokyo, Japan.

Now, this isn’t as crazy as it may seem, so let’s put in some background.