Is it supposed to do that?

Update:
I'm not sure when this is actually going to be dated for.  I wrote this in August 2019 right before heading to Reno for Burning Man.  I was going to finish it up and post before heading out to the Playa, but that obviously didn't happen.  ::chuckle::  But figured better late than never!

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So I did a thing today.  And going to hopefully finish it tomorrow.  Sounds ominous, right?  ::chuckle::  No, nothing so drastic as whatever it is you're thinking.  I changed the color of my hair!  This is something I've been wanting to do since I left Japan.
     Sidenote: Japanese companies can be very strict about what is considered
     "appropriate/natural hair colors".  And men, don't feel left out!  You guys have to be
     clean shaven!  ::grin::
I tried an all-in-one while I was on Maui with less than stellar results.  All it really did was lighten my hair after whatever was in there actually washed out.  ::pout::

So my cousin Leslie was nice enough to agree to help me on this adventure.  Neither of us have bleached hair before (I've had friends do it on two separate occasions, but my job was just to sit still) so it didn't go exactly as planned, but I LOVE the results!!  One of my little second-cousins also wanted to be assistant and fetched us hair clips and made a hand washing station for the paint on our arms (from a prior task).

Now here are some lessons learned:
1) The lady at Sally Beauty Supply (who was super helpful by the way) may tell you to take no more than 10 minutes to finish applying all the bleach, but that just isn't realistic...even with short hair.
2) Don't let your bleach dry on your hair or else it won't pull the pigment.
3) Step 2 can also be prevented by not doing out in the sun (I got the heat/no heat rule mixed up with the hair dye step) and keeping the head covered.
4) Measure your developer in the little bowl BEFORE putting in the powder so you actually know how much you put in there.
5) Olive Oil conditioner does aMAzing things to your hair after destroying it with bleach and a toner.

It's happening!!!         

So needless to say my hair didn't come out as expected (there was head shaving tossed around as a last resort if needed), but it was actually really cool.  When I got back to my friend's place, she said it looked like an ombre and was much cooler than if I'd done the whole head as originally planned.  YEY!!!

           Before

    During

                                                                                                                             After

Sidestory: My little cousins apparently got inspired with wanting to brighten up their hair and the eldest got into her hair chalk.  She told her mom there was purple in it just like Cousin Kira (It was blue).  And this morning, I got an update that the youngest didn't want to be left out with the hair colors.  Love you guys!!!

Me and my amazing (and brave!) cousin

Part 2
Today I did the final step of coloring my hair.  I went with Arctic Fox Purple Rain as it looked like it'd have the pop I was looking for (and one of the two companies I remember hearing about from my gals in college when they did crazy colors).  Plus side is that it's apparently vegan friendly.  Bad side is that it apparently fades fairly quickly.

So this time I applied it the old fashioned way and just squished chunks of it into my hair.  I tried the combing method for a hot sec and then just got annoyed.  ::chuckle::  Let it sit for about 45 minutes, had it covered in a compost bag because I couldn't find a plastic bag, and did the blow drying thing for a bit (it said it could help on the bottle ::shrug::).  Washing it out, I got.....not purple.  More of a maroonish/dark red mixture.  I was a little bummed, but hey!  Gotta roll with it.

I also realized I missed a giant chunk on the back of my head so after a couple of hours doing other things, decided to go one more round.  Reused the same bag (you're welcome Mother Nature) and did more blow drying.  This time it came out a closer shade of purple.  I'll take it!!!  For my first full bleach to color attempt without experienced peeps, I'd say it turned out pretty awesome!  ::grin::  And worst case, there's always the razor.

**Please Note: All photos are property of Kira Zebroski**

Not for re-use without prior consent and approval

Mainland bound

Sitting in another airport, getting ready to board for my next adventure.  I've spent the last 3 months in Hawaii (about 10 days on Oahu and just over 2 months on Maui).  On Oahu, I saw family I haven't seen in nearly 15 years, learning more about where I come from.  On Maui, I did a work-exchange (check out workaway.org) with a family mostly involving house and animal sitting as well a separate Respite gig with a lovely nonagenarian.

It's been good to relax, just slow down my daily life.  I explored, but also found times where just reading a book or relaxing on a beach was considered a good day.  There's still a lot for me to see.  Who knows?  Maybe I'll be back!  ::chuckle::

My next destination is Seattle.  Lucky me, I arrive on my little cousin's birthday.  Shhh!  I've got a gorgeous mu'umu'u for her.  ::fingers crossed:: that she likes it.  Seattle is a pit stop before heading to Reno for....Burning Man!!!  Super excited to be back on the Playa for the whole burn.  Last year was overwhelming for a lot of different reasons and add on that I arrived late and left early...a bit hard to fully relax into the space.

Lots of people are asking when I'll make it out to them.  Wish I had an answer but just taking it a few weeks at a time.  I've got it planned as far as my next stop after Reno, but that's it thus far.  And all this flying isn't cheap!!  ::crying::  Finally getting my online teaching sorted so that should help give me some stability as well as flexibility.

Just wanted to give a quick update.  Love to everyone and see many of you soon!!!!!  Lovelovelovelovelove!!!!

Sunset on Maui

**Please Note: All photos are property of Kira Zebroski**

Not for re-use without prior consent and approval

A time of anniversaries

You know that feature on Facebook that shows you memories of posts and events that happened in past years on this day?  I sometimes get a kick out of seeing what was going on, especially from college when Facebook was so different then.  Heck, I was so different!

Today had some sweet reminders.  A friend's wedding pictures, a message written in the sand, and a creepy recipe just in time for Halloween.  One post however, was unexpected.  A reminder that 7 years ago, my world was rocked and the results set me firmly on a path that led me to where I am today.  

Just over 7 years ago, I was working a steady job I could picture staying with for the rest of my life.  I was looking at buying a house and finding permanency in a town I adored.  Then I got sick.  I don't even know if sick is the right word.  That makes me think of viruses and antibodies and take enough medicine so you'll be better.  This was nothing like that.  This was a waiting game and the unanswerable question of "Why?"

With it came a shift in priorities.  A feeling of restlessness.  A realization that you can be a healthy 24 year old who can still have a brush with mortality.  That life is too short to put off dreams you'd do "someday."  And so I stopped looking at houses.  Eventually I started looking at jobs that would allow me to travel.  And one day I sat down with a friend who asked me what my ultimate dream would be to do with my life.  Who then called me out on my excuses for why I wasn't pursuing that dream.  

Just over 4 years ago, I fulfilled that dream.  I left the US with just a backpack (okay, maybe a big backpack and smaller one) and started to travel the world.  I've lived in 5 different countries, become a certified PADI Dive Master, learned to ride a scooter, discovered that oreos are a universal treat, hugged a koala, been to visit the States twice, and so many other memories and events too numerous to count.

But traveling isn't just about the crazy stories and epic adventures.  There are the lessons learned.  About other countries, other people, other beliefs, other things outside of my own little bubble.  Expanding that bubble and in the process learning more about myself.  The power of silence.  Learning to be in the moment with my body, mind, and spirit.  Finding the balance of planning and going with the flow.  Realizing that my overall well-being is more important than a paycheck.  That always on the go is fun, but some constancy also has its place.  Having the ability to say yes and the choice to say no is a freedom like no other...And the lessons continue (and re-teach if I didn't learn it the first time).  ::grin::

So as I write from the comfort of my trailer in Kanagawa and get ready for bed to prepare for a new week of teaching English at my Japanese international kindergarten, I can't help but feel awe for how an event 7 years ago changed my life in more ways than I could have imagined.  As Corrie Ten Boom's sister said, "Thank you for the fleas."

Obon and an announcement

I'm going to keep this short and sweet or else it will become another item on my To-Do list.

I'm sorry for the quality of the audio.  I'm not sure if it made that scratchy sounds because of my a/c running, my computer running out of memory, or having the volume up high.  Hopefully you can still enjoy it.

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

So many pictures!!!

I have hundreds if not a few thousand photos and videos over my 3.5+ years of traveling.  A mix of ones I've taken and others I've received from friends or been tagged by mutual friends.  My old computer was great for storing them (a chromebook) because I could put them on Google Drive and access them anywhere.

But then my computer started to die.  My Drive started to reach capacity.  Aww, crap!!  What am I gonna do now?  The old answer used to be burning data on discs, but not only does that become cumbersome to carry around, I don't even have a disc reader let alone a disc burner.  And so I have resorted to USB drives (which I have always called "jump drives".  Why?  No clue.)  Some Daiso shop tags later and I've got backed up photos and even slightly organized ones at that!

Now ideally all the drives would stay in the nifty little fox bag...

Of course now instead of a bunch of cds I now have a bunch of USB drives, but it gives me some semblance of order especially after I started dating them.  Although to be fair, the first one is called "Everything before Japan".  Even then it's still relatively easy to find pictures as I organized them first by country and then by city. 

I'm sometimes terrified I'll lose a drive or my camera will magically delete a bunch of photos.  A legitimate concern as my old camera did it once during my first trip abroad.  I paid the ultimate price for an amazing photo of the Sistene Chapel.  I try to balance this fear by not taking many photos.  I find I remember a place or event better if I have fewer photos.  Sometimes I just take 1-2 pictures to represent something that happened...and then write about it.  We don't make photo albums like we used to so even after taking a bunch of photos, sometimes they are never seen again anyway.

One solution to preserving memories would be to print copies of the pictures.  That way if I ever lost the drive, the file became corrupted, or the drive broke, I'd still have a paper copy.  But that would mean carrying around tons of paper or mailing them back to my parents and having them sit in a box for an indeterminate amount of time.  Instead I find other ways to preserve memories such as writing in my journal, making a post, or keeping a memento I then put in my journal (and hopefully make some sort of note about).

This little journal is bursting at the seams!

An idea of what some of my journaling as morphed into

It's an imperfect system as sometimes my self-discipline is lacking, but Hey!  It's a work in progress!  And this post came about because I was bored and wanted to see some old pictures of my first time petting a kangaroo.  So I will also leave you with this.....

You know...chilling at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary with a kangaroo

**Please Note: All photos are property of Kira Zebroski**

Not for re-use without prior consent and approval

Tis Time!

Hi everyone!  Yes, I'm still alive.  I haven't been kidnapped, arrested, or become a hermit (mostly).  I had to take a step back from social media for a couple of different reasons and while I've recently been itching to do another video on my vlog, technology has had other plans.  Youtube shut down their video editor and my two sources to the internet AKA my computer and phone are both dying.  ::sigh::  As many of you know, I have a very strong hate-hate relationship with technology so I haven't been particularly keen to jump back into the shopping pool to replace them.

That being said, I also need to acknowledge the human side of my withdrawal.  I remember when I first started regularly posting again and one thing I discussed was how to balance a 9-5 job after having traveled for so long.  Stressing the importance of keeping the good habits I had developed and not falling back into familiar, non-constructive cycles.  I'll admit, I backslid a bit there.  There have been some periods of difficulty in adjusting here in Japan.  This country is different than any other place I've been to and while that's not innately a negative, it can be stressful.  Luckily I have made some wonderful friends who have been able to offer support and advice as I navigate living and working in Japan.

So what the heck have I been up to these last however many months?!

Well, I am now the proud owner of a 5-person tent.  Gotta love those second-hand shops!  I've gone out camping several times with friends to places like Izu, Hakone, and Nikko.  I know you may just shake your head when I say there is video coming for those trips but I really do have pictures and videos to share!!  Look, here's a picture as proof!!  ::chuckle::

our view from our tent at Nikko

I am still hula dancing with my school I discovered.  And yes, there will be another video although I can't share the actual dances due to privacy for the choreography.  But here's a GIF to entertain you...

My school is keeping me busy.  It's hard to believe we're halfway through the school year and only 6 months left with my class.  Time goes by so quickly!  We're gearing up for Halloween and can you guess what my classroom theme is?  HINT: My costume involves a love of cookies!

And of course I have been discovering new and amazing things here in Japan.  Karaoke is of course a crowd favorite.  I've also discovered dessert cafes which I don't even have words to describe at the moment.  Trust me, you want to know more.  I'm also learning how to make yummy Japanese food!

And I shall now leave you with a picture of my attempt at being a ladybug.  Because who wouldn't want to see that?  ::laugh::

If you'd like to check out my vlog on Youtube, you can check it out here.

Monkey with a Backpack VLOG

**Please note: all photos and video are property of Kira Zebroski**

Dipping a toe back in

Hello everyone,
It's been a while since I've been online like this and I'm still not sure how much further down the rabbit hole I want to go.  The week of my birthday was a rough one both personally and for my country.  I basically shutdown my connection online.  I needed to focus on the present moment.  Limit my interactions in the social media world.  There are moments when I feel like I live my life through a cyberworld rather than the real world and I needed to disconnect.

I'm slowly re-emerging, feeling like I can take some of my excess energy and put it into outside activities which feel productive.  I'm still not ready for Facebook.  I've only been on a handful of times over the last month and a half and usually only for a few minutes.  Instead, I'm putting together some video blogs AKA vlogs (although this word always makes me tilt my head.  It's a weird word!) at the suggestion of my friend.  We'll see how they go.  I'm of course going to continue writing regular blogs; there's just going to be another facet to my sharing.

And now for something completely different!

Life has been busy for me.  I finished up my year visa in Australia and am now traveling around Japan.  It's cold but with my years in New York and Wisconsin, I guess I can't really complain.  ::chuckle::  I'm about 3 weeks in and it's been absolutely incredible.  Add on the fact I have a traveling buddy (my first in any of my travels) and it truly is a new adventure.  We've spent a week in Tokyo, splurged for a few days in Hakone, couchsurfed in Nagoya, and now we're meandering through the Kyoto/Nara/Osaka area.

I'm going to keep this short in sharing about all I've experienced thus far, but you can get a taste with two short videos I made while staying in Tokyo.  The first is the Chichibu Night Festival which happens in the mountains north of Tokyo.  Each neighborhood in Chichibu has a float which they push and pull by hand to the shrine at the center of the city.  There is also a huge fireworks display at the end.  You can read more about the festival HERE!

The second is from the light display in Tokyo Midtown.  Winter illuminations are big in Japan and we've been working our way through many of them as we travel.  You can read more about the different popular displays HERE!  There are so many different types of illuminations and some of the smaller cities have lantern displays made by students and local artists.  I have more video coming so keep an eye out.  Until then...

LOVELOVELOVELOVELOVE!!!! from this Monkey with a backpack.

Chichibu Night Festival

Lightshow at Tokyo Midtown

My Sugarless 30 Days

I’m on Day 4 of my No Sugar for 30 Days challenge.  It’s one of my major weaknesses.  I’m not a coffee drinker, a smoker, I don’t watch a lot of television, and I’m just as comfortable without a phone.  It’s sugar that gets me every time; chocolate being my particular weakness.  I sometimes joke during my travels that I’m too cheep to spend money on my well-being with things like a quality bed or a decent meal, but give me some local sweets to try...that’s money worth spending.

I have heard of a few friends doing cleansing or different diets to reboot their bodies.  Talking with my friend Mary while back in the States is what brought this idea to the forefront recently.  Thank you girl!!  The no sugar cleanse is probably the one that intrigued me the most but I always had an excuse of why now wasn’t a good time to start.  Well after recently eating about 3 packages of Tim Tams in about the same number of days, I realized NOW was the only time to start anything.  Yesterday is too late and tomorrow never seems to get here.  

So no more yummy goodness like this for a while!

So on October 4th I decided to go 30 days without ingesting any sugar.  My only caveat was I would be allowed a small amount of honey as I use it to sweeten my morning yogurt and my primary focus is on processed sugar.  I also realized later that day how impeccable my timing was (as my mother also immediately pointed out).  My birthday is next month and the 30 days will end just beforehand.  Nobody denies Kira cake on her birthday.  Not even Kira.  ::chuckle::

I’m curious to see how this challenge with affect me both physically and psychologically.  It’s interesting so far in realizing how sometimes I want sugar simply because it’s a different flavor than my main meals.  Or because my brain tells me it’s more satisfying than other healthier snacks, but actually I always want more even when I’m full.  I didn’t get rid of all the sugar in the house.  I still have one more unopened package of Tim Tams (salted caramel YUM!) and my roommate made chocolate beetroot cake which has been staring me in the face the last two mornings while I have my bowl of healthy yogurt, fruit, and muesli.  ::sigh::  I actually had a dream last night I ate some sweets at a bakery only to realize halfway through an eclair what I’d done.  ::shudder::

...or this!  :-(

Wish me luck on this 30 day adventure, and if you want to be no-sugar buddies for the month just let me know!!

**Please note: All photos are property of Kira Zebroski**