back to reality, and speaking english.

Oh, Canada... It's been awhile. We are back from our vacation. Back to the cold, back to our jobs... But thinking positively, we are also back to our own house, our queen sized bed (unheard of in Japan) and most importantly, our furry baby Niko.

It was one heck of a trip. We finished off our time in Japan by heading to Tokyo Disneyland on our last night there. It was smaller than California, but still a magical place filled with Japanese speaking Disney characters. Being pregnant kept me from going on the extreme rides but provided me with an incredibly valid excuse to ride "It's a Small World". I love that ride more than the average person. (I know that you all have that song in your heads now. You're welcome.)

The next day we headed for the airport and sadly bid farewell to Japan. Even more sad was the fact that since the Boeing 787 still remains grounded, we were rebooked with a less desirable airline with absolutely no leg room. My pregnant, constantly needing to go pee self was stuck in a dreaded middle seat. With my husband sleeping in the window seat and a stranger in the aisle, I felt trapped and uncomfortable as I tried to ignore my bladder. Fortunately the flight back was shorter at just under 9 hours. We eventually made it to Seattle, dazed, confused and practically sleep walking.

We proceeded to our hotel where we were lucky enough to be able to check in at 10 am instead of the usual 4 pm. This was wonderful news as it meant that we'd be able to nap before venturing into the city. I set my alarm and dragged myself and Ryan out of bed a few hours later. We walked to Pike Place Market and stocked up on the freshest, most delicious fruit that I'd consumed in months. At my insistence, we also stopped for Starbucks. When in Seattle, we drink Starbucks daily.

Instead of going for a nice dinner we picked up Subway. I'd been craving it in Japan  and could think of few things more satisfying. With full bellies we returned to our hotel and drifted off into a jet lagged sleep.

The next morning we were up and wide awake at 5 am. It was an important day... Our very first wedding anniversary! We started our morning off with breakfast in bed, complete with our market fruits and delicious Tilamook cheese and yogurt. We spent the morning lounging and relaxing before venturing out for our daily Starbucks and lunch at the market... Famous Pike Place clam chowder! We stocked up on some candy and then returned to our hotel. Being our first anniversary, we'd surely have a busy, fun day ahead... right?! Right. If you consider a 4 hour nap followed by a movie and Subway for dinner a second night in a row fun. It was our day, and we were entitled to do what we wanted. The time change from Japan made sleep the most desirable activity on the planet that day.

We were a bit more ambitious the following day. We had arranged a car rental and after picking up our ride we set out bound for Everett, the home of our beloved Boeing factory. Although we'd been there before, we decided to do the tour again and it was just as exciting the second time around. After the tour we hit up the gift shop where we'd spent rather large sums of money in the past. Luckily, we already owned most of the awesome merchandise this time around. We did grab a few items for baby Shippelt, our little aviator to be.

The rest of our afternoon was spent eating and shopping. Our first stop was Taco Bell. Thanks to American advertising while I'm watching my TV shows, I had been dying to try the Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Taco. Yes, you read correctly. Doritos. Taco. The shell is actually made of a giant Dorito. It was amazing, as I'd anticipated. We didn't stop there. We also consumed a nacho cheese version as well as normal tacos that came included in our "Big Box Meal". We felt like pigs after our big American meals, especially after 2 weeks of eating in Japan. It was time to hit the mall to walk it off.

 The great thing about being an Albertan is the fact that we are exempt from paying taxes in the state of Washington. This made it even more enticing to stock up on baby clothes, maternity clothes (which are ridiculously overpriced in Canada) and even a brand new video camera. We had bought an extra suitcase in Japan to accommodate the purchases that wouldn't fit in our suitcases.

Once we'd gave our credit cards a good workout we went to see a movie. We had received  free movie coupons from the Boeing store for spending over $50. Ryan found a coupon for a free small popcorn online and we were set for a cheap date. We spent a stressful few minutes driving back to our hotel, frustrated with the abundance of one way streets in downtown Seattle. It had been a long day without a nap, and we were exhausted.

The next day was home day. We were sad but looking forward to our own bed and getting to unpack our new possessions.  Checkout wasn't until noon, which seemed wonderfully generous compared to most hotels.  We headed for Pike Place Market to grab coffee and a late lunch as well as take my 20 week "bump" photo.  This little one is quite the globetrotter already! 

After lunch we checked out of our hotel room, packed our bags, and hit the road. With hours to waste before our flight, we hit up the mall and Costco, picking up a few last minute purchases.  With our bags stuffed full it was time to return to Canada. We headed for the airport and flew back home.

 As sad as I was to be back, it was wonderful to reunite with my Niko and get another glimpse of our baby at our 20 week ultrasound. We are halfway there already! Now it's back to life, and reality... but it won't be long until I'm on maternity leave!  

I'll leave you with some vacation photos...

Off we go!! 

 

First day in Tokyo!

 Shinkyo Bridge, Nikko

 Delicious tempura, we ate a lot of this! 

 Shibuya Crossing

 Trains, trains, trains. 

 Sushi!!! I love sushi!!

 The Atomic Bomb Dome, Hiroshima

 Miyajima Island Shrine

 Sakura trees in Osaka! 

 MONKEY PARK! This was amazing.

 My love and I! 

 Shinjuku Park, Tokyo

 18 weeks pregnant in Shibuya

 19 weeks pregnant on Naf and Sayaka's wedding day. 

 The beautiful couple. 

 Okonomiyaki... delicious!