blog — When Home is Now Here

Since July, I've been training for my first (and maybe only) half marathon, the Vegas Rock 'n' Roll Marathon and Half Marathon, and race day is less than three weeks away.

fitnessSarah HarperOctober 25, 2016fitness, reflectionsComment

Sapporo & Otaru

A couple of weeks after we got back from Australia, we head to Japan's northernmost island, Hokkaido, for the Sapporo Snow Festival.

travel, asiaSarah HarperFebruary 11, 2016winter, japan, festivalComment

An Open Letter to Japan

Dear Japan, I wasn't so sure about you...

reflectionsSarah HarperJune 3, 2015reflections, japan, travel, festivalComment

Melbourne & Cairns

Melbourne is super trendy; think man buns, ironic mustaches, and street art, though it's also home to...

travel, australiaSarah HarperMay 13, 2015australia, travel, winterComment

Down Under in Sydney

Mark and I traveled to Australia for three amazing weeks. I have wanted to go to Australia for as long as I can remember...

travel, australiaSarah HarperApril 11, 2015australia, travel, pets, winterComment

Leaves, Rockstars & Reunions

Fall was crazy this year; the blur that was October through December felt about a week long.

asiaSarah HarperApril 4, 2015fall, japan, festivalComment

Autumn in Akita

Fall is my favorite season in northern Japan. Actually, it's probably my favorite moment in time if I'm being completely honest.

asiaSarah HarperMarch 13, 2015japan, fall, foodComment

Aomori Nebuta Matsuri

There could be no better ending to the Invincible Summer than a summer festival. Not just any summer festival, but one of the biggest festivals in our region...

asia, travelSarah HarperDecember 20, 2014summer, japan, festivalComment

Red, White & Boom: Celebrating Independence in Japan

Fireworks, beer, and grilling - these are the key components to the quintessential 4th of July weekend, and we were determined to celebrate the way we were raised.

asiaSarah HarperNovember 24, 2014japan, summer, pets, fitnessComment

Good Morning, Vietnam!

After exploring Cambodia, we purchased our Vietnam visa appointment letters and headed for Hoi An.

travel, asiaSarah HarperSeptember 12, 2014vietnam, travel, summer, foodComment

Exploring Cambodia

I spent most of the month of June traveling to Cambodia and Vietnam with a couple of friends. We did very little pre-planning...

travel, asiaSarah HarperAugust 28, 2014cambodia, travel, summerComment

Grant's Eat, Pray, Love in Northern Japan

After taking in the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, we took the shinkansen, or bullet train, to Misawa for the more scenic half of Grant's trip.

asia, travelSarah HarperAugust 8, 2014japan, festival, summerComment

Tons of Fun Takes Tokyo

At the end of May, my baby brother came to Japan for a visit. o make the most of his experience, I recommended we start the trip in Tokyo...

asiaSarah HarperJuly 18, 2014japan, summer, foodComment

Happy Japanniversary!

It's hard to believe another year has passed, and even more amazing is how much one year can really change everything.

reflectionsSarah HarperJuly 13, 2014festival, summer, winter, fall, spring, reflections, japan, travelComment

Flowers & the Invincible Summer

I believe that you are never too old to have your invisible summer. That summer where there isn't a past or future, just the present.

asiaSarah HarperJune 28, 2014japan, festival, summer, foodComment

Elephants & Tigers, Oh Chiang Mai!

Before Mark deployed, we traveled to Thailand for a two-week getaway. We spent the first half of the vacation in Chiang Mai, and the last half in Phuket.

travel, asiaSarah HarperApril 27, 2014thailand, travelComment