From Hogwarts to Jurassic

Whenever there is an Endeavor International Selection Panel (ISP) event, I tend to invite myself to the country hosting it. This time, I went to Japan!

I visited Japan back in August and October 2016 (with a very special and memorable travel error highlight, umm…). Japan is one of the countries that I always love and would never say no to visiting again.

— For another Japan story, check out “I Left My Heart in Tokyo” (2016).

I won’t say much about the 88th Endeavor ISP journey (since I wasn’t there for the entire process), but we did manage to welcome a new Endeavor Entrepreneur, wohoo! One of the interesting highlights of the ISP was how they incorporated three different ‘timelines’ in their dining experiences. The first day’s dinner showcased the traditional era, the second day’s dinner featured the modern era in a tall building, and the third day’s dinner was set in an anime-themed restaurant representing ‘another era’!

Speaking of restaurants, please take a look at these delicious delicacies 😭😭. I love how Japanese food is so well-presented (and delicious too!).

Alright, back to the title! After the ISP, my friend and I decided to visit Osaka (with a short trip to Kyoto) to go to Universal Studios Japan! Being a well-planned person, she already knew when to go, where to go, and which rides to visit 😱😱😱 (me pretending to shock while also enjoying this benefit).

She said the general rule for visiting USJ is to pretend not to know each other. This way, we can use the single rider lines and get into the fast lane, waving goodbye to those waiting in line (families, friends, and partners who don’t want to split up). Anyway, it’s not like we need to hold hands on the ride or anything… And I thought: that’s actually a good and beneficial idea!

So we arrived right before USJ is open, rushed inside when the gate opened, and visited these rides (if I remember correctly): Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, JAWS, an attraction on fire or something, The Flying Dinosaur, Hollywood Dream, and food hunting!