KASHIWA X TORRANCE

Last week, something amazing happened.

My Kashiwa family came to Torrance!!

Every November, the high school I worked at in Japan, ICHIKASHI, sends students to Torrance for an exchange program. This November I was actually in Torrance to host them and was able to spend most of the week with them!

I had the privilege of teaching these 25 students in Japan…so seeing them stateside was so much fun. They enjoyed time with their host families, performing a dance at the assembly, attending the school fall festival, going to Knotts berry farm, the football game, shopping…and so much more!

The best part of this week was seeing the smiles on these kids faces. When I taught them in Japan, they were always in their school uniform, going about their busy schedules, stressed about school, family, friends, club activities, etc…so seeing them in Torrance living out their dream with the biggest smiles on their faces melted my heart!!!! This is what makes all the hard work, coordinating, and long days at school worth it!

Another really awesome part to this week was seeing Kawamoto sensei and Mami, two teachers who I worked with at Ichikashi. They both helped me so much when I when I was there, so I finally got to return the favor by hosting them here in Torrance. We spent a lot of time together this week, and it made me miss Japan life so much <3

It was an awesome week. God is so good. And I am truly blessed to have my heart in two places, Kashiwa and Torrance.

EVERLANE

So, I have a fun new thing happening in my life this month…I’ll be working at the EVERLANE pop-up at the Grove!

FAQ

What is Everlane?
Everlane is a clothing brand that started out online and now has 2 brick and mortar stores… in SF and NYC. They’re tailored for the working millennial and are famous for their stretch denim and cute shoes. Fun fact: Meghan Markle wore their tote bag which then sold out in minutes!

What is a pop-up?
A pop-up is just a tiny little temporary shop that is purposed to get some exposure for a company or brand. They’re super common now days, especially with companies that have a heavy online presence.

What’s your work schedule like? And will you continue to work with them?
So, i’ll be working a part time at the pop-up…mostly on Friday, Saturday and Sundays. The pop-up is only open until November 27th. Currently, there are no set plans to open a brick and mortar Everlane in LA…but I know they are scouting out places in Santa Monica and Venice to possibly open in 2019. Depending on how that goes, I may stay on with them and work at their store next year. We shall see!

So, I realize this is quite the divergence from my most previous job…teaching…but there is a part of me that has always loved fashion, art and sales! hahah! A few years ago I worked a little stint at Lululemon and loved every minute of it… and I loved it because I could just chat with different people all day long. So in that sense, retail is really a fun gig for me! It’s not my dream job…but it’s a really fun job for now!

<3

NAPA WEDDING.

Five years ago, I lived in a house on a cozy corner in Azusa with 8 other girls and called it “The Nest". We functioned like a family, gathering every Sunday afternoon for “Sunday somethings” where we would share food, stories, and pray blessings over one another. That year, senior year of college, solidified our sisterhood and we graduated with our heads held high knowing we’d always be in eachothers’ lives.

This past weekend, I was reunited with the Nesters in Napa to witness one of our own, Natty Sue, marry her guy, Eddie, under the tall trees in wine country. It was magic.

You know you’re in the midst of a blessed friendship when things just get sweeter over time. All of us flew/drove in from Azusa, LA, San Diego, Chicago, Seattle and Milwaukee…and although we haven’t all been together in a few years, we picked up right where we left off and never skipped a beat. Us girls chatted about marriage, babies, work, friends…while the dudes bonded over the NFL, Dodgers, and work life. This photo here reminds me of the miracle of the Lord’s favor and blessing in life.

Thankful for a refreshing weekend with these lifelong friends <3

And to end with a throwback photo of us…senior year in college…2013!

I remember we wanted to take photos of all 9 of us so we decided to use my tri-pod and go out to a random vacant lot in Azusa hahahaha. We somehow landed on the dress code of “natural/neutrals” and snapped this photo which - to this day - remains one of my all time favorite photos E V E R.

TEXAS WITH THE BESTEST.

I spent this past weekend in a city I never imagined ever traveling to…Dallas, Texas.

The purpose of my trip was to visit my best friend, Emiko, who moved out there with her family a few years ago. The last time I saw Emi was over TWO YEARS AGO when she came to visit me in Japan. I blogged about that trip HERE, HERE , HERE and HERE …we had the best time in the city together!!

Needless to say, we were due for another reunion so I booked a flight to Dallas and spent the weekend at her family’s beautiful Texas home eating bbq and catching up on everything life has thrown at us these past few years.

The cool part of my friendship with Emi is that we’ve known each other basically our whole lives…

READY TO SEE SOME FUNNY PICS???..

HAHAHHA amazing right???

Emi and I grew up together wearing matching dresses to church, facing the most awkward teenage years (middle hair part, thin glasses, weird clothing choices -yep), and sending each other two sentence emails like pen pans when she moved to Japan in middle school. We became slightly cooler in high school (only slightly) and I made sure to visit her when she moved to Belgium during our college years. I saw her dorm in London when she was there for music school, and also took time to see her life in Redding when she went there for Bethel Ministry School. We’ve been through every stage of life together…and a friendship like that is priceless. The running joke is…I have to visit Emi in every city she moves to! So Dallas was a must.

BACK IN ACTION!! Trying on pants a Lulu…where Kumi works!

BTW, the flight to DFW from LAX is a breeze.

First morning breaky…Cinnamon roll sfrom CINNAHOLIC! I know these look like blobs, but they’re ooey gooey cinnamon rolls covered in three different flavored frostings. Lemon was my fav!

Had to grab coffee at GEORGE coffee…this big white farm house that is a coffee shop. dreamyyyy! Also, it was POURING rain on us but we did not let that stop our fun.

We spent the afternoon going to a jewelry show where I bought my DREAM NECKLACE that I have been eyeing for a while now…so that was amazing. Also, pictured here is the arena where the MAVs play!

We got a little snack at the cutest macaroon shop, and another round of coffee. We sat on the couch and caught up on so many things going on in each of our lives. That was my fav moment of the day.

Sunday we woke up, went to church, then had breakfast at this cool place called TOASTED. A bunch of different kinds of fancy toasts, what a brilliant idea!! I got the Avocado + sriracha + egg…AKA MY PERFECT BREAKFAST!!!

*So…Sunday afternoon we went vintage shopping - I bought a coat hehe - and then the unexpected happened…A FLAT TIRE. yup. And even worse…on the freeway!! But God is so good and we were able to pull over when we noticed it was flat and ended up in a huge shoulder area where we felt totally safe. The roadside assistance took F O R E V E R to come save us and fix Emi’s tire but we were reminded to be thankful that #1 it wasn’t pouring rain #2 we were together and not alone #3 we had phone service and a podcast to listen to and #4 we were on a really safe side of the freeway. So even though it ate up our afternoon, it didn’t bother Emi and I because we were hanging out together and that was fun enough haha!

We finally made it home and Auntie Pat had prepared the most amazing Texas BBQ feast!!!

She ordered a bunch of meats to try from a local BBQ restaurant and made all these incredible side dishes to balance everything out. WOWWWOWOWOWOOW

When I arrived on Friday, Uncle Russ asked me what kind of icecream I like. I told him coffee is one of my favorites…so he made homemade coffee icecream and served it up on Sunday night after dinner!!! IT WAS SO GOOD OH MY WORD.

Emi and I stayed up that night chatting some more and dreaming up our next adventure in life. I loved just spending quality time with her (my love language) and seeing her life in Texas.

I flew out on Monday morning…leaving the 50 degree weather in Dallas and returning to 80 degree weather in LA!! hahaha.

Now…on to the next!

THE OCEAN - 海

I grew up by the sea.

5.8 miles away, to be exact.

The older I get, the more I realize what an impact the ocean has had on me. Summers felt long as a kid. I remember every Friday, when we didnt have basketball practice, all my friends would head down to the right side of the pier. Our spot. We’d congregate with whoever else was down there…and we’d have nothing but our swim suits, beach towels, and love of the sea.

As a teenager girl, the ocean was my biggest boost of confidence… and my great teacher. Swimming under that strong current taught me to trust the body God gave me. I learned what waves were ones you floated over and which ones would throw you down in a rumble. I learned what seaweed felt like on your toes and how empowering it was to dive down deep and feel the sand between your fingers.

I also learned that the only kind of make up you needed in life was proper sunscreen. The thick kind. That kind that gooped on your skin and stuck on when you dove in down hard in sand volleyball. I learned that the sunset over the sea never looked the same twice. And that the human soul needs to see as many ocean sunsets as humanly possible…it reminds you how small you are and how grand God is.

The other day I went back to my favorite part of the coast. Manhattan beach. This place that has memories tucked around every corner, around all the buildings, down each street. I love this little sliver of the pacific.

Thank you Jesus for this place.
For the way I see you here.
For the way you created the waves,
the sand,
the shore,
the deep,
the breeze,
the sunshine…
ohh how lovely it is!