Exploring.... and getting lost!

Being already outside of my comfort zone, I feel tempted to just stay in our new comfort zone,
of our apartment (especially with the heat), our neighborhood - where I know where to go, or back and forth to school - now that I feel comfortable there.... However, I have been making an effort to get out and explore a little bit each day. 

One day last week, I decided to ride my bike for the first time.  That was when I realized that I had brought the wrong bike to Tokyo.  I had left my bike at home, so I would have it for the summer, and
thought my Mom's classic Schwinn would be fun, so I could add baskets, and bags.  However, it does not have hand brakes.  DANGER- DANGER!  I love to ride bikes, especially on the wide open sidewalks and streets of Hudsonville, especially on the way to "What's The Scoop".  Here, other the other hand, picture extremely narrow pathways, with people walking in all directions, others on bikes, children on scooters, strollers, you name it.  So needless to say you need all the brakes you can get.... and a BELL!

I have now been riding Jeff's "boy" bike - so not only am I a hot mess but then I am hiking my leg up to mount the bike - pretty!  I have my sights set on a new bike- Tokyo style w/ baskets, bells, and lots of brakes! (and a lil' battery if I can get it to go up all these hills!)

So after tackeling the dangerous bike ride, I still had about 40 minutes before the kids were going to be home, so I thought I would venture on the main roads, one which I was familiar- but the other not so much.... but I thought it would lead me to the kids bus stop.  I walked, and walked and walked.  I looked for the familar turn and it never came.  It was 5 minutes before the bus was going to arrive and I had no idea where I was?  The bad news was I had no cell phone - or MAP!  The good news was I had some YEN.
I hailed a taxi and got to the bus stop in the nick of time.  I felt as if I had given up- if I only had more time I would like to think I would have found my way back in the right direction :) 

I guess it is one of those lessons in life, that even when we get lost we have learned something.  Those
streets are now familiar to me, so I can check a couple more areas off my list!