My Top Tips for Japan Travel

It is so quiet in Japan! This is the first thing I thought on the plane, at the airport and on the train. That being said, represent your country in a way that is respectful to their culture. I loved the order, respect and thoughtfulness of Japan so much. I hope that I can bring a bit of it back to America. Here are some of the things that surprised me most about Japan and I hope can help in planning your vacation there!

Japan Souvenir Round Up

I planned a budget of $300 to spend while in Japan....LOL

The Best Day In Kamakura

This was the day we had been waiting for! By this time I had fallen so in love with the country of Japan, its people and culture, I couldn't wait to see and learn more. We narrowed down the list of my mom's favorite shrines and temples and set the agenda for the day!

How to Spend a Rainy Day in Yokahama

Our first day in Japan was rainy. And I don't mean it sprinkled a bit. It POURED and was WINDY! LOL Raining sideways, so windy my umbrella broke. BUT we didn't let that stop us. We only have 6 days here in Japan so there was no time to waste! First stop:

One Day in Tokyo

We only had one day in Tokyo so we had to make the most of it. And boy did we! We were all over the city seeing many different things. Luckily we had a pretty central hotel. It was a military hotel (my parents live on a military base in Japan) so the hotel was cheap and amazing! First things first, though we rode from their home into Tokyo and stopped at our first stop. Kimono Rental!!!

Geek Girls Gab with The Baker Street Babe founder Kristina

I run the Baker Street Babes Podcast, which is an all-female Sherlock Holmes podcast, blog, and event thing. It's just over two years old and we've been on everything from The Today Show to the New York Times plus having run events in New York, London, and San Diego. Sherlock Holmes is king right now and we're enjoying the ride. Our podcast can be found on iTunes, Libsyn, and AudioBoo. We're on twitter, tumblr, and facebook.

The Nerdy Girlie:  What is your 1st nerd memory?

Kristina:  I was obsessed with dinosaurs as a kid. I knew all the names and had more books and plushies of the damn things that I can ever remember. I distinctly remember playing with a  stick in third grade, pretending it was a pterodactyl. Otherwise I was a HUGE Power Rangers nerd when I was in like first grade. I made my mother wait in line for hours to get the toys. I'm still a bit dinosaur enthusiast (I was originally going to go to school for palaeontology but didn't fancy going to Montana), but I've lost my love for Power Rangers and any sort of super heroes. Sorry Kimberly.

TNG:  How and why did you start blogging?

 Kristina:  I've always loved to write and I really liked the idea of writing for other people in a more casual setting. I tried having a blog while I lived in Japan, Curly In Japan, which was only sorta successful as I didn't update it all that much. When I started the podcast, I knew I needed and wanted a website to go along with it and as we became more popular, we started providing more content. We have a rather successful tumblr and we’re constantly building up our website with new articles and features. It’s constantly evolving and I’m learning every day.

TNG:  YOUR favorite blog?

Kristina:  I wish I had a less cliché answer, but I just genuinely love Post Secret, which I don’t know if that necessarily counts as a blog. It’s cathartic to check it every Sunday and see how many anonymous people I connect with. I just really love learning about other people, which is why I love interviewing people. I’m a curious being and Post Secret satiates that in a very special way.

TNG:  What is your favorite thing/things to nerd out about?

Kristina:  Obviously Sherlock (and Sherlock Holmes in general) is pretty high on my nerd list, I think that goes without saying. I’m also a massive Doctor Who fan and nearly fell off my bed as I flailed when Peter Capaldi was announced as the 12^th Doctor. Hornblower is incredibly close to my heart and I’m a hardcore Archie Kennedy fangirl (be still my heart baby Jamie Bamber). My more obscure nerdoms are foreign musicals. I love language, even though I suck at learning them, and while I’ve never been a huge music (or frankly, musical) fan, there’s something about foreign musicals that intrigue me. I kind of love not knowing exactly what they’re saying, but instead figuring it out for myself just through context clues and feeling it. My favorites are Elisabeth das Musical, Le Roi Soleil, Rebecca, and Mozart L’Opera Rock. I really recommend listening to them all and, if you can, watching. Mozart L’Opera Rock is a bit bizarre, but they’re all really pretty.

TNG:  Any tips for San Diego Comic Con?

Kristina:  You will never be ready for San Diego Comic Con.

No, seriously.

This was the first year I went and no matter how much I read or how many questions I asked, I was not ready. It was so mental and so insane, but in a great way. I was both ecstatically happy and horribly overwhelmed at the same time. I’m also insane because I decided my first SDCC was the perfect time to throw a giant Sherlock party. Thankfully SherlockeDCC was a huge success (with MANY thanks to Megan of course!)

My main tip is to make sure you have a few days to recover. I’ve never been so exhausted in my life as I was post-SDCC. It took me nearly a week to really recover.

TNG:  Girlie things you love?

Kristina:  Growing up I wasn’t necessarily a tomboy, but I wasn’t into any girlie things. After I went to London for my semester abroad in undergrad, I came back wearing dresses and skirts and I’ve developed a handbag problem. I also have five piercings in each ear and a nose ring so I’m really big on earrings and such. I own so many nerdy earrings and I just want more.

SherlockeDCC 2013!

Thank you Kristina for answering our questions!  It has been such a pleasure to have her as a friend and bond through party planning!  I loved learning more about her through this interview and cannot wait to plan more epic parties together!  Check out The Baker Street Babes for EVERYTHING Sherlock and follow her on Twitter: @CurlyFourEyes.

Geek Girls Gab with Foreign Geek

When I first looked at NaNa's blog the Foreign Geek, I KNEW she had to be featured here on the blog.  Straight off it is visually appealing.  Once you dive into her posts you get taken along for a Wonderlust-ful ride!  I am super jealous of all she gets to see and do!  Find out how she does it in our interview below!

All photos provided by NaNa.

The Nerdy Girlie:  Let us get to know you!  Can you give us a lil brief nerd history on you NaNa!

NaNa:  I am NaNa. A culture-curious being, the way people live now and then fascinates me. Living outside of my comfort zone and learning new things excite me. I got this wanderlust gene from my parents; my dad loves history and architecture, and my mom, well she just loves to go out. I also like to explore local coffee shops, reading other people’s blog, long train rides, and to give long unnecessary speeches in front of my friends.

The Nerdy Girlie:  Why The Foreign Geek and how did your blog come to be?

NaNa:  I am a nomad at heart and been living an expat life for sometime when I started this blog. I love to travel and explore foreign places. Thus were the reasons behind the word Foreign. Geek on the other hand was how I identified myself for the longest time.

I wrote my first blog post on the day I took leave from work because I just couldn’t bare the thought of crunching numbers for another day. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate my job, but at that time, my creative side was at the lowest point, which made me unhappy overall. So now, I go to work to pay my bills and I write to make me happier.

The Nerdy Girlie:  What is it like solo traveling?  I just recently "kinda" did one solo trip and it was exhilarating!

NaNa:  Exhilarating is the exact word I would describe my first ever solo traveling. But, to be honest, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. There were times I miss having my friends around (boohoo), especially the times when I couldn’t communicate due to the language barrier when I solo traveled to Beijing.

The best part was, having done it, it has made me more satisfied with my life, like it feels well rounded. There is definitely more solo traveling in the future for me, and maybe this time I will pick an English speaking country.

The Nerdy Girlie:  Tell us about your favorite adventure thus far!

NaNa:  This is hard. I honestly can’t. I love exploring quaint little villages in Southern France or the scenic train ride in New Zealand as much as lying on the beach on Phi Phi Island. Whenever I get to experience something new that enriched my life in one way or another, I consider it as my favorite.

The Nerdy Girlie:  What is the nerdiest place you have visited?

NaNa:  And this one is easy! The nerdiest place I have ever visited would be Japan. I saw a lot of people freely letting their geek flag fly everyday with varying types of nerdniess. They were wearing Victorian dresses, school uniforms; some even dressed up as comic characters. I could feel that they were proud of it. And don’t get me started with the gadgets and unique cafes all over Japan. Japanese celebrates the “weirdness” collective. Gosh, it’s like a dream society for me. I would move there in a heartbeat.

The Nerdy Girlie:  Where are you looking forward to visiting in 2015?

NaNa:  There are two major travels I am dreaming of this year. I want to go on a road trip in Australia and to witness the ball drop in the Time Square during the New Year’s Eve. I would love to squeeze in short vacation to the neighboring countries. I am not one to say no to any opportunity to pack my bag and explore the world.

The Nerdy Girlie:  Where can we keep track of your travels?

NaNa:  Please head over to my blog, Foreign Geek, where I write semi regularly on Tuesdays and Fridays, mostly about my travels and expat life in between. You can also catch me travel pictures on Instagram and other social media platforms. Whichever way you find me, do drop by and send me a Hi! I would love to get to know you and build virtual friendship.

Thank you NaNa for sharing your exciting adventures with us!  I cannot wait to read your travels for this year!  Make sure you head over to NaNa's blog the Foreign Geek and follow her lovely Instagram account, I did!

5 Fandom Friday: Goals for 2017

Are you NEW to 5 Fandom Friday? Welcome and come join along! 5 Fandom Friday was created by myself and Super Space Chick in October of 2014, as a way to get all of our blogger friends keeping on task each week, building a community with our fellow bloggers and connecting with new and old friends once a week! We choose the topics, you do the writing! Let's get inspired together!

Last year I set out to take chances. I had five of them. Move to Denver {check}, finish my book 100 Cups Of Coffee {2nd draft done, check}, develop my photography business {I'm finally working full time as a photographer, just not for myself, yet}, live alone {kinda} and wait for love {check and found}.

Now this year is all about growing myself even further. I want to expand my skills, grow my passions and do a few things I've left behind in this past year.

1. Get 100 Cups of Coffee out into the world. With the completion of NaNoWriMo in November of last year, I completed my 2nd draft. I added over 20,000 words and I put more of myself and more truth into the book. I cannot wait to have my editor give me her notes and continue on this journey.

2. Grow my career skills. I've had my first full time job for a year now. It was rough and I'm always tired, but I have more motivation to be better everyday. I want to continue to grow my skills and myself. I've never been more motivated in my life! Bring on 2017!

3. Travel more. Ocean Eyes and I are moving in together! By the end of this month I will officially live with him, in his house, with his pets! It's been a transition for both of us, but we are excited! That being said, we will both be able to save money and in turn want to travel more this year! Cancun with my girls, Vegas for his 30th, Wyoming for his Sister's wedding and Japan in 2018! I cannot wait!

4. Save more money. I've not been able to save any money since I moved out on my own. I've held my head above water and only had to dip into my savings in the last weeks of December. I'm excited to save again. To build up a savings and create some stability in my life. I'm thankful for my job for that and living with Ocean Eyes. I cannot wait to see where this journey takes us!

5. Read more. I love reading! I just haven't had time or have been too tired! I'll pick up a book at bed time, read three pages and fall a sleep. I won't get through anything that way! But I plan to try! I have a HUGE to be read stack and I cannot wait to conquer it and then discover the libraries here in Denver!

I cannot wait to here what you have planned for 2017. It feels like a year of accomplishment and motivation.  Let's do it nerds! Don't forget to share with my in the comments below!

January 5 Fandom Friday Prompts:

Friday January 13th, 2017: 5 Nerdy Places I Want To Travel To
Friday January 20th, 2017: 5 Films I'm Excited For In 2017
Friday January 27th, 2017: 5 TVs I Can't Wait To Watch in 2017

Why You Should Try Poshmark

Looking for a way to unload all those things that do not bring you joy anymore?! Enter Poshmark! 

Tokyo DisneySea

From Tokyo we were able to take a train directly to Tokyo DisneySea. Once we arrived at the park, we took a second train that took you to each of the Disney Parks and hotels. We had all our stuff from spending the night in Tokyo, so it was nice to be able to drop our stuff off in the lockers, right outside the train station. I think it was about $5 for us to use the lockers and they were pretty big!

Vacationing with Only a Carry On

When I went on my first LONG vacation (10 days) I knew I wanted to only bring a carry on and I knew I wanted to challenge myself to make sure everything fit with no problem. No extra clothes, no un-needed accessories, jackets or shoes. I was going to minimize and be versatile! Could I do it?.....

2019 Resolution Reply

In 2017 I wrote these resolutions...

1. Gym and healthy eating.
2. Unplugging and read more.
3. Seeing/calling friends and family more.
4. Travel.

In 2018, I wanted to keep the same resolutions for 2019 + get in my first half marathon! Let's see how I did....

Tokyo Starbucks Reserve Roastery // A 100 Cups Of Coffee Adventure

Starbucks has only 5 Reserve Roastery in the world: Seattle, Shanghai, Milan, New York and Tokyo. Coming Soon....Chicago. So for a coffee nerd like me, I just had to get to the Tokyo Reserve Roastery (the first I've seen)!

What is Starbucks Reserve Roastery? An upscale boutique coffee experience with educational opportunities and handcrafted coffee.

7 YEAR BLOG-IVERSARY! 👩🏻‍💻

7 years of this blog! Can you believe it? It has been such a constant in my life, it has evolved with me to help me become the person I am today. It has brought me so many great friends and memories. Thank you nerds for sticking with me for all these years, allowing/watching me evolve and for your continued support!

Every year I grow more and more. That didn't happen prior to my divorce, I felt like I stood still a lot before. I'm not even the women I was when I moved to Denver 3 1/2 years ago. I couldn't be more happy. I've grown up a lot and in so many different ways. Here are my lucky 7:

14 Tips For Your European Vacation

This blog post is a part of a series about my European adventure to Paris, Italy and Portugal to celebrate my best friend Liz getting married. I learned so much by planning this trip by myself, with tips from Liz and a shared spreadsheet with my other bestie Steph, I couldn’t let the opportunity by to share what I learned with you!

I learned a LOT while planning Ocean Eyes and my's trip to Italy for my best friend Liz's wedding. Before, during and reflecting back, it was an amazing trip, with a few hang ups and a large learning curve. But we made it through together and I want to share the big things learned I with you!

#CANTCLUTCHTHIS October: Celebrate Daily

I've been struggling lately.

Your 1st Time in NYC

I just took Spencer to NYC for his very first visit. I had planned a LOT! Then we decided to go to Japan the following week, I toned down the NYC itinerary to show him the best of the best and I thought I'd share that with you and let you share YOUR NYC tips as well! I just love this city so much. It really makes me feel alive and shows the best parts of America.

4 Ways Tea Can Help You Feel Better When Sick

"The journey of a thousand cups begins with a single sip." I've show my love for tea many times here on the blog. One of my favorite times was when I wrote about creating the perfect British cup. Since then I've tried many teas and have grown my collection and love for the drink. So when The Art of Tea reached out to me to try their tea I was so ready!

Plus I was sick.

Cosplay Crush: Gackto

I'm a fun person that doesn't like long walks on the beach. I rather be at convention walking the entire day cosplaying or taking pictures of cosplayers. My life is usually pretty busy and I haven't had a bored moment in years. There's always the next cosplay or the next YouTube video to make among other side projects I am usually doing. I'm also a huge foodie and I like to eat almost anything. I have been to Japan five times and will be going to Korea soon too. I guess if I had to sum up my life, it would include studying, work, eating, traveling, kpop, cosplay and YouTube videos. Oh... and hanging out with friends. Hanging out with cosplayers from different parts of the country and traveling around is really cool. That pretty much takes up all my time. 

The Nerdy Girlie:  How did you get into cosplay?

Gackto:  I didn't really get into cosplay until a few years ago although I have been going to conventions for a long time. At first, I bought my cosplays. Then I made my cosplays. Now, I do both just because life has gotten really busy from making YouTube videos to traveling to conventions everywhere. The real reason I even started cosplaying was because all of my friends were doing it! I know, peer pressure. One of my earlier cosplays was L. It was really popular back then and I met a lot of people because of it. I love the experience and meeting people through cosplay so much that it's very much part of my life now. I am not sure what I would do if cosplay wasn't part of my life anymore.

TNG:  Do you make or buy your costumes?

Gackto:  Both. It depends on what part of the year and what other projects I'm working on. I try to make whatever I can because sometimes, you just can't buy the props or the outfits. It's way to complicated for anyone to make and sell. So then I have to make it. And it's pretty fun making things too. Some people like to categorize cosplayers and break down who buys and who makes, but I don't have time to make sure I fall into a specific category. Cosplayers are cosplayers in my mind.

TNG:  Any tips for people just staring out in cosplay?

Gackto:  Just cosplay whoever you want. I would suggest just buying a cosplay, actually. Then wear it and see how you like cosplaying. That way, it's a stress free experience! If someone is making their first cosplay, I think the best tip is learn and ask other cosplayers for answers if needed. When it comes to working with materials, it is always better to get some ideas about from others about their experiences. It will save time and money. Oh yeah, cosplaying with friends is also very fun!

TNG:  How do you feel about people approaching you for pictures.  Is there a certain protocol/cosplay code?

Gackto:  There's no certain protocols for me. As long as they ask for a picture, I'll let them take it. They can even request a certain pose as long as I don't look ridiculous or offensive.

TNG:  Any suggestions on where to shop for costume pieces if you are not a sewer?

Gackto:  Ebay. And Taobao. However, I think it's more convenient and more buyer protection on Ebay. And the plus side is Ebay is in English. Of course, there are plenty of cosplayers that also do commissions too! So technically, someone could get a commission, make another part of the cosplay and then buy some accessories off of Ebay. I know a lot of cosplayers do that. Some cosplayers are good are sewing. Some cosplayers are good at making props. So whatever they don't do well, they usually have it commissioned.

TNG:  Do you think about posing a head of time?

Gackto:  Of course! You need to know what angles and poses give you the best pictures. In addition, some characters have unique poses. It's good to also learn not to obstruct your face with your props or do anything that can make the picture look kind of weird.

*I had the pleasure of meeting Gackto at Vid Con this past year and he is the nicest guy!  I find it so much fun to meet new people at cons!  Check out his FB page, follow him on Twitter: @Gackstream and don't forget to keep and eye out for him at conventions!  Thank you Gackto!!*

22 things in 2022 ✅

I think that making my 2022 aspirations more precise will be helpful to me to move them into habits throughout the year. Along with new goals for myself personally, I have them for my company. I want to start educating myself more and making a difference where I can. I want to get back to traveling and I want to be more creative! I'm excited to use the Dailyo app again this year to hold me accountable each day! Here are 22 things I want to do this year!