Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Although I wish I could be back Stateside, celebrating with family and friends and generally overeating on pumpkin bread, frozen fruit salad (it's a family thing, don't ask), and pie, I know I have plenty to be thankful about here in Tokyo. Tokyo hasn't gotten snow at all, unlike most of Chicago or the East Coast, from what I've been told. In fact, it's not even peak fall leaves season yet, which remains mind-boggling to me on many levels. It's too warm. It's weird. Anyways. One popular fall activity is to head out of the city and into nature for some good ol' leaf peeping, so that's just what Troy and I decided to do this past weekend. Our destination of choice was Mount Takao, a small 599-meter mountain that's easily accessible from Tokyo and a popular day trip getaway. In fact, Takao is the last stop on my usual train line -- yet I'd never been. The climb is neither technically difficult nor overly st...