Ever since a "Hiking and Haikus" elective course took her to Japan for a month in college, Becca Levine has been enamored with the landscapes and culture of the island nation. She returned post college to teach English to high school students in a small town outside Nagano, and has done everything from traverse a mountain in a monsoon to keep her toothpaste in the fridge to prevent it from freezing during their harsh winters. From the importance placed on natural beauty expressed via poetry to the aesthetic notion of "Wabi-sabi" emphasizing the beauty of imperfections, Becca has used her experiences as a teacher, outdoors-woman, and tourist in Japan to color her life in the US a bit brighter and more roundly.
