JP and Kim's Wedding

One of my very best buddies, JP, got married in October, to the beautiful (and crazy) Kim. I flew home to Vancouver for the wedding, which was my first trip back to Canada since coming to Japan. We had an awesome time, and it was really good to see all the guys again, some of whom I hadn't seen in years.

Spring in Kyoto

At the end of March, my friend Laura came down from Tokyo and we spent 4 days in Kyoto. We went to some of the usual tourist spots, like Kinkakuji, Kiyomizu, and Ginkakuji. We also made it to Kokedera (the Moss Temple), where we tried Japanese calligraphy (for 1 veeery long hour) but which also has an incredible moss garden. We also went to the relatively unknown Kamigamo Shrine, where we caught the final procession of a traditional Japanese wedding.

Me and Hayley

Hayley is my oldest niece. She has an adorable little sister, Kelsey, and a brand new baby brother, Eli, who I haven't seen yet.