Travel Tip #7: Consider cultures close to home!

You don't have to go far.

On my "Alive Day" each year, I like to focus on being present and grateful for... well, being alive.

I always want to do something special and out of the ordinary, but that's a bittersweet time of year for me, and often my energy is in short supply.

So what do you do when you're feeling ambivalent and drained? 

Or where do you go if you only have a few hours?

How about Japan??

Japanese culture has a rich history in Philly, so I hopped in the car with friends Mark and Jasmine for a very short road trip.

Within a half-hour, we'd arrived at the Shofuso Japanese House and Garden -- a place I'd never visited before!

You can read more about it at Mile 13,140.

On our way back to the city, we stopped in Chinatown to slurp steaming bowls of ramen at Megumi, a new-to-me Japanese restaurant, literally blocks from home.

We knew we'd only dipped our toes (or chopsticks) in, but it felt like we'd traveled halfway around the world!

I know what you're thinking.  

It's easy in big cities because they're so culturally diverse.  But small towns -- and even rural areas -- have roots to explore too.  

No passport required!

So what's in your hometown?

Walk on,
Rebecca