May 26, 2025 — 7:21 PM
I too have been allured by the hottest new travel destination: Japan! After being there for a month, a few memories simply refuse to leave my mind:
I went here around 20 times on my trip and every bowl kept getting better. The shop’s rich broth and chewy noodles were like a symphony to the taste buds — just writing this already has my mouth watering. I can only hope to return someday.
A good karaoke session in the Bay Area can easily clock in at over $100 when you add food and drinks. Now take that, double the quality, quarter the price, and you get Japanese karaoke. Big Echo, a popular Japanese karaoke chain, always seemed to sneak its way into my evenings. Now in California, I am faced with the unfortunate dilemma of silencing either my wallet or my inner songbird.
Despite missing much from Japan, it is truly great to be back in America. Friendly conversations with strangers and sunset strolls while snacking just hits different. Maybe one day the US will change. For now, I will focus on locking back in, singing on drives, and attempting to craft the perfect bowl of udon in solitude.