Fat and Broke

 The JR Pass is an option for non-residents of Japan to purchase. Instructions: Purchase the JR Pass before you travel to Japan (It doesn't seem like there's an "official" website as many vendors do sell it. Just do your research to make sure it's legit. Personally, I have used japan-rail-pass.com before. I think the top choices in your Google search is probably safe.) Receive the Exchange Order Fly to Japan  Exchange the Exchange Order at a participating JR Pass ticket office Enjoy the JR lines! How to Use: Previously, the JR Pass was a booklet that you had to show each station's ticket attendant but I've heard that they've upgraded it to a ticket now! It looks just like a train fare ticket would and you insert it into the ticket gate like any other ticket. The only concern is that it looks just like a regular ticket so do not lose it ! PROs: The JR Pass is convenient because you don't need to think about it. You just scan your ticket and can get...

Depending on where you're coming from, Japan can be a long flight. Things to consider bring: Entertainment. Most planes have screens with tons of viewing options but just in case, load up your phone/ipad with shows or movies that you know you want to watch. Comfortable ear phones are a must.  Remember to bring a battery pack or a plug (a lot of planes have outlets now but they don't always work). Bring both adapter or one that uses USB. Our recent plane had a USB port. Rest. It's a long flight so you'll most likely sleep. If you have trouble sleeping in unfamiliar places, try bringing some ear plugs and eye mask. I'm still searching for the perfect neck pillow and I actually brought these travel foot rests last time but found out that ANA has foot rests so I didn't use it. Probably only necessary for people with short legs like me... Dry. It's so dry on the airplane. Buy your own water in the terminal if you drink like a fish and bring some vaselin...

Like many themed places in Japan, you need a reservation for the Pokemon Cafe . You need to book your reservation a month in advance but unlike Studio Ghibli (that opens the entire month on the 10th), the Pokemon Cafe opens 31 days in advance. This makes it easier to book because not everyone is trying to login at the exact same moment so it was a much easier process. You don't need to choose the menu at the moment but you can choose "limited" items that are only available when you make your reservation. There are still items you can buy at the cafe but not the ones offered when you make the reservation. There are sections A, B, C, D. According to their FAQ , ABC are table seats and D are counter seats for 1-2 people. Everyone must order something. In fact, I thought I read somewhere that adults need to order two things (meal and drink/dessert) but I'm not sure. At certain times, a giant Pikachu comes out and the kids are allowed to gather on the floor to watc...

Get a prepaid sim or WIFI hotspot . You'll use Google maps or Google translate a lot! You can book these online and have them ready for pickup at the airport or just find them at the airport when you land. (If you're landing late, maybe look into sending it to your hotel. Lots of things are closed at a certain time so just pre-research how to get from the airport to your hotel before you leave.) If you're using a lot of bullet trains, get the JR pass . You can only get it when you're in the states because it's for visitors only so plan ahead of time. You'll have to research if it's worth it. One way from Tokyo to Kyoto is about $130ish. Coming back is another $130. The 7-day JR Pass is $272/person with unlimited rides on JR lines and bullet trains (minus the express). If you take over one roundtrip bullet train, it's worth it. You can go to the JR station to book seats for free . Just show them your JR passes and tell them where you want to go and wha...

You can officially purchase Studio Ghibli Museum passes a month in advance on Lawson's website  for about $10 each (or cheaper for children). Online ordering opens at 10am on the 10th in Japan so do the conversion to make sure you are online at the right time. (Tickets opened up Friday the 10th at 10am so I had to be online Thursday the 9th at 8pm in Chicago.) Get as many people to try to increase your chances. I was trying on my computer and my phone. The person to finally get through was my husband on his phone. I found it easier to be on my computer. The system crashes multiple times and there's a lot of refreshing and copy/pasting. Even when you get through to one page, the next might crash from high traffic and you start back at the beginning. You'll need information such as your passport number and the address you're staying at while in Japan. They don't really check these when you're there but it's best to have this information ready so that you c...

So we finished 30 days of Core de Force last week and we didn't see any results. I wonder if it just means that we're not pushing ourselves hard enough? We usually end up sweating bullets and out of breath so I'm not sure how much harder we can push ourselves. It's been incredibly frustrating to go a month with no results. We're on a week of taking a break right now. Ben got oral surgery and is still recovery. I've been slowly going back to doing some Core Kinetics on Core de Force. It's been hard trying to get into a healthier diet schedule. We've had friends visiting, birthdays, Super Bowl and Valentines to get over. I don't think we have much excuse now so I'm trying hard to get into the healthy mode. So yesterday was my best attempt to start. I'm cutting out carbs and trying to drink more liquids. I'm debating about going into the master cleanse for a couple of days to get rid of as many toxins as possible so that I can start clea...

American Airlines just announced that it's following suit with its competitors and eliminating overhead carry-ons for their cheapest flight options. Get in the know before you get stuck with a $25 fee! United Basic Economy Begins in the second quarter in 2017 Still one personal item that fits under the seat Still earn MileagePlus miles (however you will NOT earn Premier qualifying credit or lifetime miles or toward the four-segment minimum, and they won't receive some benefits.) No seat assignment until check-in (family may not sit together) No carry-ons unless you're a MileagePlus Premier member or companion traveling on the same reservation, the primary cardmember of a qualifying MileagePlus credit card or a Star Alliance™ Gold member. If you bring a full-sized carry-on bag to the gate, your bag will need to be checked and you will be required to pay the applicable checked bag fee plus a $25 gate handling charge. No miles towards elite status Not eligible for p...