The Freedom Life: November 2018

The Freedom Life: November 2018

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.  After five years of living in China, and two years of This Beijing Life, things have changed. I left my job as a college counselor in China, and now I’m living a life on my terms. I’m my own boss, I travel when I want, and […]

Andon Ryokan: Tokyo’s Modern Ryokan

Andon Ryokan: Tokyo’s Modern Ryokan

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.  If there was one piece of advice I heard over and over when planning my trip to Japan, it was “stay in a ryokan!!!” After hiking through Japan’s Kumano Kodo Iseji route for two weeks, I became obsessed with the traditional Japanese ryokan guesthouse. […]

The Ultimate Guide to Kumano Kodo Iseji

The Ultimate Guide to Kumano Kodo Iseji

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info. All photos of me are taken by Chris of Aussie on the Road.  Hiking the Kumano Kodo Iseji was one of the most difficult, incredible things I’ve ever done in my entire life. As someone who doesn’t normally do long-term pilgrimage hikes, I was […]

The Hardest Thing I’ve Ever Done: Two Weeks Hiking Japan’s Kumano Kodo Iseji

The Hardest Thing I’ve Ever Done: Two Weeks Hiking Japan’s Kumano Kodo Iseji

It’s been one week since I finished Japan’s Kumano Kodo Iseji Route: the thousand-year-old pilgrimage route through Mie Prefecture. This two-week hike was simultaneously the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and yet also one of the most rewarding. 170 kilometers. 2 mountain peaks. 18 mountain passes. 7 fantastic shrines. 5 steamy onsens. Countless tiny towns. Fantastic […]

Why I’m Hiking Japan’s Kumano Kodo Iseji (For Two Weeks!)

Why I’m Hiking Japan’s Kumano Kodo Iseji (For Two Weeks!)

In just a few short days I’ll be hopping on a plane to Japan’s Mie Prefecture to hike the stunning, challenging Kumano Kodo Iseji. After approximately five years of navigating China’s busy cities: honking horns, dodging e-bikes, constant construction… imagining myself hiking through the wilderness with just me, my boyfriend, and my backpack sounds almost […]