The first time you get off the train and out of the station in Motomachi it might not look very promising, but once you look a little deeper there are a few sparkles about this town that you will definitely enjoy. 

Especially during Christmas season when the whole main street is lit up and there’s the big Christmas tree right by the road it’s almost magical walking along the street, window-shopping or enjoying a nice hot chocolate from Star-bucks. 

Twice a year they have a big “Charming Sale”, once in September and once in March. My favorite shops to go to and the ones that have nice and cheap stuff are Gap, Zara and a Japanese one called Class. You can find really nice tops for under 1000 yen which is about $10. 

There are also a few nice restaurants that are in a reasonable price range. For example on the main street there is an Italian place called “Capricciosa” and in one of the back streets there is a tiny place called “Papa Joe’s” that has really yummy beef fajitas and garlic pizzas. If you have more of a sweet tooth there is a place called “Cheesecake Factory” that has some really good desserts. 

If you want to experience some of the history up the hill there is the The Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery. Lots of soldiers from the war are buried there and others are recognized on a big metal plate. 

Right opposite of the cemetery is Yokohama International school. It has some amazing people from all over the world and they are super friendly so they will help you find your way around if you get lost. 

As I walked into the “Ink Skull” I started feeling a little queasy. Was it going to hurt? What if he made a mistake? Was I ever going to regret it? I had chosen the design I wanted weeks ago, a world map. It was supposed to symbolize my childhood and all the traveling I had done and places I’d been too. I always wanted to remember these years where I saw so many new countries and had the chance to visit many different cultures. It would also remind me of the time I spent with my family on these trips and all the positive and also negative moments we went through together. But most of all, all the amazing people I met and all the friends I made that will stay with me forever. 

Yes. I was completely sure I wanted it. But I had to admit I was a little scared off by all the guys covered with tattoos and piercings that were walking around the “Ink Skull”. My friend gave me a little nudge and I went to the person sitting at the desk and told them I’d like to get a tattoo. I gave them the design of the map and they led me into a room in the back and all of the walls were covered in gory paintings and graffiti. A few of my brother’s friends however told me that this place was very clean and professional so I  had nothing to worry about. I waited for about ten minutes with my friend telling me stories about how her uncle got a tattoo and it got infected and he had to go to the hospital etc. My hands started sweating and I my throat tightened. ‘I’ll be fine’, I kept telling myself. Then, the guy with the needle came. That needle was huge. I had never seen anything like it. I took a deep breath, grabbed my friends hand and closed my eyes. As the needle entered my neck I felt a rush of pain go all the way down my back. After a few seconds I got used to the pain so that I could tolerate it without screaming. 

An hour later I had a huge patch on my neck and it was burning like crazy. But once I took the patch off and saw it I was overwhelmed. It was amazing. All the pain went away and all I felt was joy. I loved it. 

 1) fall in love

 2) write a letter to my 4 best friends 

 3) have a huge party 

 4) tell my parents and brother i love them

 5)  go to Africa, China, Iraq, Russia, North pole, Jamaica

 6)  go into space

 7) help someone 

 8) get a job 

 9) get a tattoo 

10) go sky diving