Matt and I just returned from our trip to Japan two weeks ago.  When people ask how our trip was, I am really having a difficult time articulating just how amazing it was.  Nothing really does it justice.  Unlike our other international trips to Australia and Africa, etc. there’s not much to say really.  No hot air balloon rides, overnight open air tree house stays in the middle of safari lands twenty minutes from civilization, or helicopter rides in awe over one of the seven wonders of the world.  Instead, it was lots of heat, walking, eating, drinking, and just enjoying the company of the many welcoming helpful Japanese people we met along the way.

This trip was a little different than our usual ways of traveling as we literally did no planning leading up to it.  Normally, before a big trip like this, I would be researching all the top culinary destinations, booking reservations in advance, and counting down the days until our next greatest meal.  Frankly, there just wasn’t time for it this go around.  The ultimate irony of this is that Japan has the highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants.  I don’t even recognize myself!

But being frank, it was awesome.  No set plans, no dinner reservations to stick to, no expectations.  We dined on local recommendations, interesting places we walked by without having a clue what anything said on the menu, or the next place we came across when we were (OK fine, I was) starving or in desperate need of a bathroom.

I thought about Dean a lot when we were there (of course, I thought about Kate too) but I thought about Dean from the perspective of how challenging this trip would be if I were him.  And I thought about how difficult spontaneity is when you live with food allergies, particularly a plethora of them, and how people really can’t begin to understand how life-altering this is without having experienced it.  Continue reading →