Snowboarding

Hello everyone! It's been a while since I posted, of course lots of things have been happening, but most recently we went on a BEST club trip to Nagano Japan to go Snowboarding!

はじめて! (Hajimete - My first time!)

Here are a few photos and stories from the great time that we had together on the trip!! I am so thankful for the time and so thankful that I was able to grow closer to many students during the trip!

First, we left Tokyo at 9pm and rode through the night! Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep, but we hit the slopes at 9am the next days, amazingly, with no coffee!

We took the night bus from Tokyo to Nagano!

Fun in the snow!

This was my first time snowboarding, but I enjoyed it significantly more than I expected! The best part was being with these friends and being able to get to know them better! Trips like this bring us together significantly more than our regular weekly activities in Tokyo. Everyone seemed so cheerful on the slopes. It helped that the sun shone the whole time!

Waiting for the gang at the top of the slope before we all headed down together for the last run. 

One of my favorite parts of Tokyo BEST trips is what we call "Pair Talks". We are paired with another member on the trip and we talk and get to know each other for about an hour or more! It seems like it could be awkward at first, but it actually isn't! It's truly fun to get to know what another are passionate about, worried about, and our hopes and dreams!

One of my pair talks was a walking Pair Talk with Rina!
We got ice cream and talked about travel and relationships. 

At the top of the lift we paused to take silly photos, while enjoying snowball fights, and the beautiful mountains

We stayed at a traditional hotel that had tatami mat (bamboo) floor, and a natural hot springs bath. The hotel provided a Yukata (pictured below) for us to wear after we took our baths. It was relaxing and I kept saying "I feel so Japanese"! 

Rina, Elsa, Abbie, Adam, and Carrie, relaxing after the hot springs. 

The beautiful mountains reminded me of Virginia! I was constantly in awe of them.
Photo Credit: Chiba Yohei

The consensus: I'd love to try again! I'm so thankful for my chance to get to know Tokyo BEST members better! Here's to many more adventures!