So Katie and I had to face Tokyo alone today. We needed to complete the final step to our visas being long-term. This time the boys had to work so we were going to have to put on our big girl pants and do this one just the girls. We hit the 10:00 train out of Tsukuba and began our first trip to Tokyo without the boys. Since we got to the train early we got good seats. Reagan enjoyed having her own seat to bounce around in but also thought she should bounce around in ours as well.

The girls on the train (I kind of got cut out)

Reagan and I on the train

After arriving in Tokyo, we continued our trek, helping each other remember which way to go and which train/bus to hit next to get to the Immigration Office. We had made the trip twice with the boys but this time we had to remember all the stops ourselves. It was easy enough and within an hour we had finished the business we had come to do. We were officially long-term visa holders and now it was time to do some exploring. We didn’t really have anything planned so we looked at one of the tour maps Matt sent with me and decided on Shimbashi. It was not far from Akihabara where we take the Tsukuba Express home and we hadn’t been there yet so it seemed like a good place to stop and explore. So we get off at the train station and the confusion begins. Umm, which way to go. We had an idea of an area we wanted to head toward. We were trying to head toward the bay to find some good seafood and then check out some gardens that were near by. We started looking up since there was sky scrapers everywhere trying to read something that would be on the map. Finally we found a building we knew wasn’t in the way we were trying to go and just went the other direction.

Like an hour later and at least 7 different flights of stairs (oh and we have the stroller so we are carrying the stroller with Reagan in it up and down all of these stairways), we finally get across a major intersection feel we were going the right direction. That feeling last about 5 minutes when we realized again we had no idea where we were. Luckily we happened to be standing right in front of a tourism office with this confused look and a very helpful (English speaking I might add) lady came out and ask us if she could help. She gave us a map and pointed us in the right direction. Before we left we ask for a restaurant suggestion. She got us another map and told us about a sushi place a couple blocks away. Perfect! We love sushi and we were looking for seafood plus at this point we were starving and would have settle with about anything. The sushi was great and Reagan enjoyed her PB&J I brought her. We felt much better and headed off to the gardens we were looking for. Right as we got to the gate we realize how late it is and how tired Reagan look and decided we should head home. Of course like a block into our walk back to the train station she was out. Being optimistic I decided well good she can nap the trip home.

So sweet when she is sleeping

HAHA! Wait what kid actually does that for their mom. She napped just long enough for us to take the JR train back to Akihabara and for us to get on the Tsukuba Express to head back. She woke up minutes after we got on the 50 minute train ride home. Oh well she played nicely and we got back to town around 4:00. It was nice to have not spent all day there this time. It is very draining when we do that. Pretty good trip to Tokyo and Katie and I pulled it off with all by ourselves.