4 Favorite International Trips in My 20s

1. Osaka, Japan

Like many cities in Japan in the spring, Osaka boasts an unbeatable view of the cherry blossom trees. You will want to spend a full day in the Osaka Castle Park to stare at the gorgeous baby pink surrounding you. The flowers fall in the river, making the stream pink-ish color. Around 5 pm, the sunset adds a yellow-orange color, making the whole scene look like a painting. The park has awesome food trucks selling dry noodles and ice cream (Macha ice cream was to die for) as well as Japanese street performance with monkeys!

After your beautiful day at the park, you can walk around to check out bustling bars and restaurants. You will meet crazy friendly locals, fellow travelers, and people with amazing life stories. Unlike Tokyo, Osaka is small and walkable. Every corner and alleys are full of izakayas, bars, and restaurants. We would walk into a random restaurant without Googling and have some of the best foods we’ve ever had.

There is a sushi making class you can sign up for in Osaka. Sakura Cook offers group cooking classes for foreigners for about $120 per person. You get to make and eat 11 pieces of sushi, one roll, and 2 yakitori. Honestly, the hardest part was fanning the rice!

Also, did I mention that Osaka has Nara park where you can feed and play with the deer?