Tokyo Disneyland.

No matter what 2013 decides to throw at me, I will always have the day I went to Disneyland. There is a reason why it's called "the happiest place on earth" because it quite literally is. Walking around to Hollywood-style music from films of my childhood and inhaling the aroma of  sweet sugar with every breath was wildly intoxicating. With my Minnie Mouse ears and yellow coat on I spent the entire day in a elixir of happiness, grinning like the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. Growing up Disney was like a staple part of my diet. I loved everything from Recess, Kim Impossible, That's so Raven to Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place and The Suite Life of Zac and Cody.Then there was the movies! Going to Disneyland was always this fantasy that I was never quite sure if I would be able to live out. I can safely say walking out of the gates at the end of the day that it lived up and beyond any expectation I could have set. 

The park was totally encompassing, every detail had been carefully planned and executed with such finesse that it could nearly be passed as magic! As the day drew to a close, the lights lit up the famed castle and the fireworks exploded in the sky, little tears streamed down my face for the most perfect day that was, as cliche as it may sound, a dream come true. 

Tokyo Travel Diary.

 

The bright lights, tall buildings, flashing billboards and swarming crowds of people in Tokyo was a sight and sense to behold. It was a place that couldn't be imagined. It needed to be felt and lived. Everything was so different and foreign, colourful and quirky. We started our first day by setting out to discover all of the amazing architectural feats that grace the Tokyo cityscape. It turned out we weren't the only tourists who had mapped out must-see buildings, we met some other tourists, who were architects, from Sweden who were also taking a photo of the same building as us! They said that nearly every major architect has a building in Tokyo. I don't doubt that at all. Every street we walked and every wrong turn we took lead us to a pleasant surprise. It was amazing to walk around a city that embraces creativity and proudly showcases it for the rest of the world to admire.

I have the utmost admiration for the Japanese and their way. They have adapted to a western world but in every way remain their own people, their own culture and unashamedly just do their own thing. From charming little cartoon characters on their Olympic Games bid to anime advertising on billboards to their politeness and tolerance in every day situations is something that is disarming and truly inspiring.

The sheer size and magnitude of the city is something I had trouble coming to terms with. With so many unexplored neighbourhoods I feel like I left with only a taste for Tokyo. These photos trigger some of the most wonderful memories of my time in this wild and wonderful concrete jungle.