YA'll want to travel?

I had thought I might do something Halloween-inspired on the symbolism of imaginary monsters, but then I was getting caught up in the tangible harm of the real monsters. I need to spend some time figuring that out.

I may try and stick to light, fun stuff through the end of the month.

I was recently catching up on comics and read Shadow of the Batgirl by Sarah Kuhn. I liked it pretty well, and in the author information I saw another work listed, I Love You So Mochi. Requesting it from the library, I was surprised to discover it was a YA novel, not a graphic novel.

I read those too, though, from time to time, and I enjoyed this as well. It was frothy and fun and dealt with issues of family expectations and communication and finding oneself.

Most of all, it made me really want to go to Kyoto, Japan. That's where Kimi goes, and it sounds great.

Places I want to see include the Philosopher's Walk (which she did not make it to, but I can still try), Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Todai-ji Temple, Yokai Street, Fushini Inari Taisha, Misuyubari Needle Shop (and the shopping center where it resides), and Nara Park. I would probably want to re-read the book before going.

That's cool in theory, and it gave some great pictures to look at and nice ideas. It also takes me back to October 2006, when I visited Toronto and my itinerary came mostly from Paula Danziger's It's An Aardvark Eat Turtle World:

https://sporktogo.blogspot.com/2014/05/toronto-how-i-was-brought-there-by.html 

The funny thing is, although I had written about the things I missed, like not going and eating at Mr. Greenjeans, I don't regret it that much. I mean, I was looking at the sign for Mr. Greenjeans, and I could have gone, but other things sounded more interesting. 

Instead, my primary regret relates to time concerns. At Niagara Falls, there was a behind the Falls tour that I was afraid would make me miss my bus, so I didn't take it. I went to nearby park instead, and from there I spied a giant Hershey Kiss, but I was not sure I had time to check that out. 

This means that while I do not need to return to Toronto, if I ever make it to my upstate New York itinerary (Seneca Falls, Finger Lakes, the Corning Museum of Glass, the Jell-O Museum, and especially the original Anchor Bar in Buffalo, home of Buffalo wings), that I will want to add a diversion across the border to the Canadian side of the Falls. There I will check out the local Hershey Store and take the Journey Behind the Falls. (You can ride the Maid of the Mist from either side, but other attractions between the two sides are different.)

I love these plans. Whether or not they come to fruition, they still excite me.

I am older and have traveled a fair amount, but the magic of learning about a place, wanting to go there, and then actually going there has not faded for me. 

(And at least in Japan people take disease prevention seriously!)