The time had finally come - time to pack up, say our goodbyes, and leave Japan. To celebrate our final days I tried to document our "lasts".

Last but not least... Mom and Dad were officially our last guests here in Tokyo! We were excited to show them around town and to see some of our favorite sights one last time.

Tim took a business trip to London and I was lucky enough to tag along! Not only was it a break from the Tokyo heat, but we got to experience a bit of the Brexit controversy live.

Tim had the brilliant idea of trying out ikebana - the Japanese art of flower arranging. He booked a lesson and we took the 15 minute walk over to Daikanyama to enter the Ohara School of Ikebana. 

With Tim working out of the Singapore office and me spending most of my time in Japan, we thought it might be nice to meet up for a weekend to break up the time apart. 

Mom and Dad came in on a Friday afternoon and were ready for their Japanese adventure! We wanted them to have the fullest vacation possible and decided to start it out with a day trip to Kamakura. 

We were lucky enough to catch Tim's Uncle and Aunt - Chu Long and Co Tuyet Anh - during their short stay in Tokyo!

The very day after Mackenzie, Phil, Vickie, & Jimmy flew off, these two landed at Narita. More visitors! :D

The cherry blossoms bring everyone to Japan - including Jennie and Herman! They arrived in the middle of Mackenzie's trip and left during Christina and Mark's stay. We had scheduled a dinner together but fate wanted us to meet a few more times.

Japan is all about its seasons. But we all know that no season is anticipated and adored nearly as much as the spring. Because spring means winter finally thaws, green buds appear, and FLOWERS BLOOM!

Our friends Mackenzie (Liz), Phil, Vickie, and Jimmy flew over together for a fun week in Japan. Given that Mack and Vickie were almost ready to open their brand new psychiatry practice(!!!), it was pretty amazing that they found time to get away! 

After an exhausting trip (including a 3-hour delay in Honolulu) Mom, Rachel, and Hannah finally made it to Tokyo!

The last time I'd been to a cat cafe was back in 2012 during my first trip to Tokyo. So when Tam (Tim's coworker's wife and my new friend) suggested that we pop into one I jumped at the chance.

HOORAY! We celebrated two years of marriage on February 15th, 2016! (But didn't this JUST happen???)

For Tim's birthday he got a surprise getaway to Fuji San (Japanese people refer to mountains as "san", the same honorific given to people - so cute!).

He only had a weekend in Japan before he had to return to Singapore so the plan was to travel south on Saturday, spend the night, and return on Sunday with plenty of time to spare before his flight out.

Loren came to visit us during her school's February break and we were SO happy to have her! She came on a Sunday and left late on a Friday so it was quite a whirlwind, but that made us treasure every moment that much more.

Our home away from home...away from home...

Tim took on a Palantir assignment in Singapore that will last for a few months. It means that for now we're living in a hotel room with summertime weather (30°C/86°F and 70% humidity!). 

We will soon have family and friends coming to visit Japan and we can't wait! In order to make visitors' travel prep a little easier, here are some recommendations.

Our trip to Vietnam was filled with many diverse towns and new experiences. Tim's cousin, Anh Binh, and his family allowed us to stay with them during our days in the big city. 

During Tim's Christmas vacation we took the opportunity to tour southeast Asia. We were especially excited to spend three days roaming Siem Reap.