Birthdays are the best

I'm a little behind since my birthday was at the end of March, but it was so great that I have to tell you about it. I received lots of nice cards and gifts in the mail from friends and family back home, which made me feel so special. Sometimes it's hard being away from home on your birthday because you feel forgotten, but I certainly didn't feel that way! So many of you called me, too. Thank you so much for that! It meant so much.

On my actual birthday, I had to work late. But, when I got home Travis had sweetly prepared me a dinner of delicious Thai green curry. It was so good. And, he pulled a beautiful cake out of the closet! It was beyond delicious, and I helped myself to two pieces that night, one for breakfast the next morning and more for dinner the next night. It didn't last long!

The following Friday Travis arranged a big dinner with several of our friends at one of my favorite restaurants. It was so much fun, and we followed it up with some karaoke, which was a blast. It was one of my favorite nights.

Here are the girls. We had such a great time singing Black Eyed Peas and No Doubt. These girls are so much fun to be around! Our boys were there, too. But, I think they were too busy rapping Gin and Juice to pause for a picture.

The next day, Travis took me to Kyoto for the weekend. We had the best time there, and it was undoubtedly one of the most memorable weekends of my life. Travis made reservations for me at a photo studio where I was able to dress like a maiko, an apprentice geisha.

The process began with a full makeover. My makeup was done in the traditional style, and then I chose a kimono and wig. Afterwards, I headed to the studio to have professional photos taken.

Travis took a shot of me during the photoshoot. It was so much fun!! I was actually really surprised by the photos. They turned out wonderfully, and I'll try to share some once I receive the finished pictures.

After the photoshoot, I took a stroll near Kyomizudera. At first, I was so embarrassed because everyone stopped to stare and point. After a little while, it became kind of fun. Travis kept going to the other side of the street so he could watch all of the people marvel at the super-tall-foreign-looking geisha. As you can imagine, many funny comments were made (at my expense), too.

Lots of tourists, like the Chinese family pictured above, asked to take pictures with me. I wonder if they felt cheated.

After my short career as a geisha ended, we grabbed lunch at a local restaurant and headed out for some sightseeing. Kyoto was incredibly crowded, since we went on the peak weekend to view the cherry blossoms, but battling the crowded sidewalks and traffic was well worth the effort.

Travis booked a ryokan for us to stay in. It was a beautiful place tucked in the side of a mountain right outside of the city. We were able to enjoy a couple of onsens there, and the food was incredible. Some of the cuisine was a challenge, but it was so beautifully presented.

This picture is of the walkway to our ryokan. It was very quaint and picturesque there.

The next day, we headed to Kyoto again and explored a few different areas. We did a little bit of shopping and enjoyed snapping pictures of the cherry blossoms in full bloom.

We stopped to take a picture underneath a walkway canopied by cherry blossoms. It was incredibly beautiful, and I felt like I was in some sort of wonderland.

Speaking of cherry blossom wonderlands, they are almost gone. We were able to spend a few days in parks enjoying them, but now it's cold and since it rained almost all day yesterday, very few are left. I am really going to miss them next year.

This last photo is a tribute to the cherry blossom. They come and go so quickly. Reminds me of a little thing called life...