A brief history of Erika & Rob's romance story --
Ex-pat professionals find their match in Tokyo
Erika and I met while we were both ex-pats in Japan. After initially meeting at a gathering in Shibuya, Tokyo, we quickly learned of how much we had in common, and conveniently lived in adjacent buildings in Roppongi -- what are the odds with a city of ~38M?!? For our first date, we had breakfast, and then spent ~4 hours at a local coffee shop / bookstore; in the midst of an engaging conversation, we both took personality tests, and were surprised at the result. We were both ENTJ’s (Extroversion, INtuiting, Thinking, Judging)! The similar result was surprising enough, but even more shocking when we researched further, and learned, “ENTJ is one of the least common types in the population, and the rarest type among women (<1%)”. Needless to say, we both knew we had found someone special!
New Zealand ignition (Xmas 2016 / New Years 2017)
As we approached the holidays at the end of 2016, I asked Erika to join me for a travel adventure to the southern island of New Zealand. Erika hesitated for a bit, but made a last minute decision to jon me for a ~12-day Xmas / New Years holiday adventure around the island. We have many fond memories from this adventure, but most importantly learned that we are ideal travel companions and partners. A few visuals to share --
Needless to say, I was very excited that Erika decided to join me in New Zealand, and we were all smiles as we were eager to continue our adventures in a new, exotic, country.
Early on in our travels, we agreed to an ambitious hike up Ben Lomond. We made it even more ambitious as we bypassed the initial gondola up, and did the entire hike from sea level. As captured in the attached, Ben Lomond is an 8.1 mile hike, elevating 4300+ ft! Erika struggled in parts, but powered through, and passed an early test :)
While in Queenstown, we had many trips to vineyards and bike adventures. We often reflect fondly of these adventures, though there were times where Erika’s endurance was pushed to the limit!
On New Year’s day, we decided to tempt fate once again, and ventured on our first-ever (for the both of us!) hang gliding trek.
On the way out of Queenstown (beginning a loop around the southern part of the island), we had the chance to kayak at the infamous Fiordland National Park, where they filmed many of the epic scenes from Lord of the Rings
Tokyo weekend adventures
Upon our return to Tokyo in early 2017, Erika had a tough decision to make --
toward the end of 2016, she received a great job offer from a consulting firm in San Francisco, a place where she dreamed of working for awhile. She was in the process of moving to San Francisco when our romance started flourishing. Thankfully, she prioritized her personal life over her career life, and gave our relationship a chance to flourish. She moved into my spacious apartment in Roppongi, and we have been together ever since.
For the rest of 2017, we were both on the tail end of our ex-pat assignments, so had plenty of time to explore Japan. Most memorable were the countless bike adventures we took throughout Japan. We were most proud of the fact that we could pack our bikes in a suitcase type carrier in <10mins, giving us the upmost mobility. Other than one memorable outburst -- where Erika, in a moment of exhaustion after circling the base of Mt Fuji all day, exclaimed “I’M DONE BIKING!” -- our travels further solidified our love & superb partnership.
Biking was the central focus of many of our adventures:
Many of these took us bike adventures took us to some authentic Japanese destinations, where few gaijin (ie foreigners) ever have the chance to visit.
..including many shrines!
We also uncovered a common passion for snowboarding, so took a memorable trip up to the northern island of Japan (Hokkaido)
Building upon our common interest in fitness, we also frequently ventured on Runs around the Imperial Palace
..and even pursued Acro-Yoga!
As my ex-pat assignment came to an end in Japan at the end of 2017, I invited Erika to join me in the beautiful Northwest. Fortunately, Vancouver is her favorite place on the planet, and so Oregon sounded reasonable. Erika is very marketable, so easily landed an accounting job at Nike.
Earning Riley’s Acceptance
Upon our arrival, I had to unlock one final key to Erika’s heart -- securing Riley’s love! Riley, a mini golden-doodle, that Erika has owned since he was a puppy in 2009, had stayed in Vancouver with a friend of Erika during her time in Tokyo, so was eager to learn of her return.
Fortunately, Riley and I bonded from the moment we met, and he has been part of our romance ever since.
He was our first true ‘baby’, and became part of just about every adventure
Riley loves his butt cuddles, so I adapted quickly
His goofiness it truly contagious..
..and is the master of several tricks, including High Five!
Adorably, he has joined us for a countless number of bike rides.
..whomever is driving!
Riley happily joined us for Thanksgiving trip in 2018, playing first on the beach in San Diego…
..and then, settling comfortably at the house in Scottsdale.
Kira’s arrival
We settled into Oregon life early in 2018, and there were immediate conversations of starting a family. In timely fashion, we learned of Kira’s conception in April, and she was born in January, 2019.
Erika’s pregnancy was rough at times, but she shined throughout
Despite being ~7 months into her pregnancy, our biking adventures continued, and we undertook an ambitious trek around the infamous Crater Lake in November, 2018
Our annual trip to San Diego, 8 months pregnant --
This was our first view of Kira.
We spent Xmas at home in 2018, pulling together Kira’s room, and eagerly awaiting her arrival.
Kira arrived in early January 2019, and has been a joy (and a handful!) ever since. Kira is all the things you could ask for -- curious to the world, eager to try new activities, and so caring & loving (eg whenever we are feeling anxious or tired, she will give us a kiss on our leg or arm ..and kindly share, “feel better Mama/Daddy”). She has blossomed in her ~2.5 years, and you will hopefully have the chance to enjoy her energy during our few days together.
Here are just a few of the memories we’ve enjoyed in the recent years, which include many of you!!
2019...
2020..
Comments
Post a Comment