For Raymond's first spring break of law school, we remodeled our front room and put in new carpet on the whole first floor of our home. For the second year of law school, spring break was spent having Boyer baby #7 and outlining for law finals. For our last spring break of law school, we decided to explore more of Japan by traveling to Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Miyajima Island.
Ten days, nine people, eight bus tickets for three long bus rides, seven hungry kids always wanting to eat instead of seeing cool stuff, six rental bikes, five carry-ons, four different sleeping places, three really amazing cities, two crazy parents, and a stroller. But there was much more to it than that.
It was a crazy and amazing adventure, one that I feel truly BLESSED to have been able to experience. As a family, we grew a lot. Grew in the knowledge of Japan and the culture, but we also grew closer as a family. We made some great memories. Ones I hope the kids always remember and cherish.
The kids researched and chose the places they wanted to see in Kyoto. They picked 31 places, and I think we were able to hit 25 of them. Each one is worthy of their own blog post, so I will journal each place separately. Then, we spent two days in Hiroshima and Miyajima Island.
Here are the kids' overall thoughts on our trip and their favorite city:
Caitlin: I didn't find Kyoto and Miyajima Island very life changing. Hiroshima was a little life changing, mostly because you can't help but notice that the Japanese people had forgiven the U.S. for dropping the a-bomb. All they want to do now is move forward. My favorite city was Arashiyama, a suburb of Kyoto.
Tayla: Before we went to Hiroshima, I was afraid that the Japanese wouldn't like us because of the atomic bomb. I have a higher respect for the Japanese people now. They forgave the Americans for the a-bomb, and I was not expecting them to have done that because I know I would have a hard time forgiving. In Hiroshima, a man on the street trolley randomly gave me a Hershey kiss. I was really touched. My favorite city was a tie between Arashiyama and Miyajima Island.
Christopher: I loved the trip. I learned more about Japanese culture. It was how I imagined Japan to be before we came here. Tokyo is a lot different that how I thought Japan was. I learned new things about Japan that I didn't know or think of before our trip. I felt sorry for the kids in Hiroshima that were burned and killed from the atom bomb. I kind of respect Japanese people a little more than I did because of how desperate they were to survive and how they would help each other get safe. I also now respect them more because of how nice they are. I liked the cities all the same. They were all super cool and I don't have a favorite.
Logan: I learned what the atom bomb did to Hiroshima. I felt sad and sorry for what America did to Hiroshima. We kind of had to drop it to end the war, but if America knew what it would do, I think they would have lowered the power and made it smaller. I learned that Japan isn't just skyscrapers, busy cars running all over, and the sound of policemen at stop lights. Japan is a really kind, quiet, and beautiful country. My favorite city was Kyoto.
Nathan: I didn't know there were monkey parks. At first I thought that Japan was in Tokyo, but now I know that Tokyo is in the middle of Japan. I learned that there is an island where the gods live. My favorite city was Miyajima Island.
Audra: We ride on a pink bus. I like the bus. I like Hello Kitties. We saw a lot of them. Birds like Hello Kitty. The deer bite me. They tried to eat my coat. And then, I never get my coat ever again. Animals are bad.
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