Allow me to introduce myself…

Hey there! I’m Eri, and I’m a twenty-something year old who loves to travel, eat all sorts of food, stay healthy and (I hate that I’m saying this because it sounds so cliché but) create content. I’ve always found that there is so much wonder in this world, and maybe my rose stained, glass-is-half-full approach is my biggest strength and weakness but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I think my innate curiosity stems from having grown up in a multicultural Japanese-Chinese house – I’m also American, and the only one in my entire family. I spent my childhood in Hawaii, Singapore and Hong Kong, and attended what we call “international schools.” They were Australian and Canadian, so you can imagine that I was quite a confused child! I’ve always had an American English accent but I used to call “aluminum” more like “alumiNIUM” as the Australians call it, and then I started pronouncing “sorry” like “soARY” like Canadians. I grew up spelling “colour” and “centre” the British way and I was exposed to all sorts of cultures, cuisines and ways of communicating with both locals and the fellow expat kids I was friends with. Then I went to college in Oregon and tweaked those nuances because I got tired of explaining that the “washroom” is the bathroom and that I mean I want the A/C on when I call it the “aircon.” Freshman year was a humorous adjustment for many reasons – you’d be surprised how many times people asked me if Hong Kong is a city in Japan and said, “Wow, your English is so good!” (I mean, I’d hope so because it’s my first language, Japanese is my second language).

You’re probably wondering, are you complaining? Not at all. As a child I don’t think I realized how much my upbringing shaped who I am but the older I get, the more I appreciate it. Sometimes I wish I had stayed in one place so I didn’t have to make new friends all the time and that answering the question of “Where’s home for you?” would be easier. But it’s forced me to get comfortable with being uncomfortable and it’s totally awesome because it’s opened up my eyes to so many ways of thinking.

So here I am – I created Bridge to Shiawase to share my life experiences with you in the hopes that it sparks something for you or helps in some way. “Shiawase” means a sheer state of happiness in Japanese, and it’s a word that’s always meant a lot to me. I think that no matter where you’re from or what you’re passionate about, we’re bonded by our human desire to seek happiness. Here you’ll find my travel tips, favorite spots for bites, style inspiration, my workout journey with running and boxing, and more.

Shoot me a note anytime – I’d love to hear from you!

xx Eri