Eras

Growing up with a kid - or bringing up, if you like - is one of the most entertaining journeys. An unspoken rule is to jump in with an open mind, the expectation that you won't expect, and the knowledge that you've never learned.

When our daughter was young, we planned our vacation with simple fun in mind. Legoland or zoo. Hands-on museum. Playground and beach. That's the kind of itinerary I have mastered nicely, the kind that stops being difficult and starts being natural. We just like the way we travel.

Wait. It's not that simple. Fast-forward to the teenager years. I learn to plan our trip according to new milestones. Now that our daugther becomes a Swiftie, we felt a jolt of adrenaline after Taylor Swift kicked off her Eras Tour last year. We never saw our daughter so affectionate with a chance to pay homage to the stadium. Taylor Swift has been packing stadiums from Las Vegas, Nevada to South America. When we learned about her tour to Tokyo, I asked my friends with American Express to do me a favor. Well, it turns out, not as simple as that. They aren't Japanese American Express cardholders and could not help with getting pre-sale tickets.

To plan a trip in Tokyo is one thing; to time the trip to Tokyo Dome with two secure concert tickets, quite another. That's all parenthood is, really: every chance to enjoy the challenge to its fullest.