MISS CAMPUS SUMMIT 2013 PART II

KONICHIWA ALL! First of all, we'd like to give a huge apology for our absence over the last two months or so. Maria and I have been extremely busy finishing up our thesis! We are beyond happy to have finally finished! :) Now that thesis duties are no longer a hindrance, we can at last give you guys PART II of our Japan trip! Part I was dedicated to the 'work' side of that amazing trip, so this post will be dedicated to the 'fun/pleasure' side of the trip. You didn't think it was all work and no play did you?

Over the course of our week-long stay in Tokyo, we had the most brilliant time exploring the city's rich abundance of culture, people, food, sights and spirit! Tokyo was everything we had ever hoped for and more. Speaking of food, you'll see lots of sushi and Tokyo bananas in this post! 

No one can go to Tokyo and not visit some of its many breath-taking temples, so that's exactly what we did on our first day of sightseeing! The Miss Campus Committee took us to Sensohji temple and Meiji Jingu Shrine. Though very different --one is full of tourists and packed to the brim, the other the epitome of serenity with open spaces--they were so fun to see. We also dropped by Shibuya, where we walked across the famous crossing (so surreal), did a little shopping at Tokyo's famous supermarkets (where you literally can find ANYTHING for around 100¥), and had afternoon tea and desserts at the cutest boutique. One of our favorite things we did was indoor ski and snowboard. Since we've never skid or snowboarded before, it was truly a learning experience. After about a hundred hilarious falls and tumbles, I think we got the hang of it. We definitely left that slope black and blue all over, but it was worth it! 

We jumped right into Japan's culture when we spent a day in the traditional Japanese town of Kawagoe on the outskirts of Tokyo. We were very fortunate to have a chance of wearing authentic kimonos!! It was a dream to walk around town wearing them! In Kawagoe, we also ate at an authentic Japanese restaurant, where they taught us lessons of Japanese table manners (there are so many interesting rules). 

We closed off the trip at Tokyo Disney Sea, which is a branch of Disney Land. It's called Disney Sea because it's located right by the ocean. That was a day to just let loose and be a kid again. To us, that meant wearing our minnie mouse ears and eating ridiculous amounts of churros! :) 

This trip could not have been possible without the help of some very special people. We want to make a shout out to all Miss Campus Summit committee members and everyone involved. They really are the nicest, warmest, most thoughtful people and we're glad to call them friends! We'll see you soon.

xx