Okinawa

Welcome to beautiful Okinawa, home of white sand beaches, a rich history, and typhoon-worthy rain showers? What? Turns out that dad and I planned our Okinawan excursion right in the middle of the rainy season. Oops! So maybe a slight damper was put on my initial impression, but the rain let up enough for my dad and me to wander around in bazaars in Naha city, and to go scuba diving in Nago Bay. Okinawa was a great introduction into Japan, especially since my dad and I were the only non-Japanese in our entire hotel! I had brushed up on a few Japanese phrases before the trip, so I was able to chat a little with the locals. (And by that, I mean that many hand signals were involved.) But nonetheless, it was a great way to get acquainted with a foreign country, since I was actually forced out of my comfort bubble and into the beautiful environment around me!

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