A Starting Point
To be honest, it all started with a random Reddit thread called “Girl Dinner Diaries.” I found it fascinating to see people post photos of their meals while anonymously sharing little pieces of their lives. Most of the stories were not particularly happy. There were confessions, frustrations, and everyday struggles, but somehow it felt very genuine.
I remember thinking, this is such a great idea.
It combines two things I’m really passionate about: food and the everyday stories that come with it.
I’ve wanted to keep a blog for years. I’ve started more than a few, abandoned every one of them, and always told myself I’d try again someday. Well, it’s never too late, right? So here I am. Unlike that Reddit thread, though, I don’t just want to post food photos. I also plan to share pictures from around Japan and anywhere else I happen to visit. Living in Japan has given me so many experiences that I’ve always wanted to document, not because they’re extraordinary, but because they’re simply part of everyday life.
Now, what makes me think anyone would want to read what I have to say when there are already so many foreign influencers in Japan? Honestly, I’m not trying to “influence” anyone. I just want to share things as they are. The ordinary moments. The daily routines. The little discoveries. Not the perfectly curated “Instagrammable” spots or the places every tourist gets told to visit.
This is for anyone who’s curious about what everyday life here actually looks like. Saying that out loud makes it sound a little boring. I promise I’ll do my best to make it worth reading. At the end of the day, I just want to document my life and share it. If someone learns something new or simply enjoys coming along for the ride, that would make me happy.
I guess it makes sense to actually talk about today’s photo. Tonight, I made homemade meatloaf with mashed potatoes. While shopping, I noticed the grocery store had two types of ground meat, a finer grind and a much coarser grind. I had never used the coarser grind before, so I figured, why not.
Well, lesson learned.
For meatloaf, I definitely prefer the finer grind. The larger pieces made it harder to season and mix everything evenly. It still tasted good, but the texture was not quite what I was hoping for. If anyone has favorite recipes that work well with coarsely ground meat, I’d love to hear them.
I have a huge backlog of photos and even more stories to share, so bear with me as I slowly work through them.
Thanks for stopping by, and I’ll see you next time!