Matsushima, Japan. Matsu is the name of the type of tree that grows on the islands and ‘shima’ means Island. There are dozens of little islands like these, all over the bay. It’s breathtakingly beautiful.
Some Good News
I’ve had the last week off and spent a relaxing few days at my friend’s grandmother’s house at a small seaside town north of Sendai, Japan. I was treated like royalty! Her grandmother cooked all of these elaborate and delicious meals and even hand-stitched me pajamas. (!!!) We went hiking and on a boat ride around these gorgeous little islands off the coast and pampered ourselves at an Onsen.
I go back to work on Monday, but next week will be an easy week since half of the schools I teach at will be closed…and then next weekend I’m going to climb Mount Fuji, which is something I’ve been looking forward to for a while. I’ve bought so much hiking gear, I’m practically ready to scale Mount Everest…except for the part that I’m sort of out of shape at the moment. It’s a seven hour, overnight hike. And that’s just up the mountain. I’ve got to get back down, too. I can’t even begin to imagine the amount of pain I’ll be in when it’s all over. To me, a strenuous hike is up the four flights of stairs at my subway stop when the escalator isn’t working.
I’m also going to be in a magazine! Yes, you’re now reading the words of a soon-to-be PUBLISHED (!!!) writer. An article I wrote for a local Tokyo magazine will appear in their September ninth issue. It only pays 30 dollars, but hey, that’ll pay for like, eight cups of coffee here which means I can stop drinking canned dollar coffee from the vending machines.
Does anyone have any advice for climbing Fuji-san? Like, what should I wear? Seriously. Do freezing temperatures and possible rain showers warrant wearing a ski jacket and ski pants? Or can I get by with just a sweatshirt and a rain coat?
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Reannon Muth is a full-time writer, social media consultant and owner and manager of the Taken by the Wind travel blog. Born in Hawaii, Reannon has lived in five countries, at Disney World and on a cruise ship. She currently lives in fabulous Las Vegas.