We’ve never been to Japan and are excited to dive into a completely different culture. I’ve been reading the Fodors Guide to Japan all month and as I flipped through the bible paper thin pages of microscopic text I realized that just about everything I know about Japan has come from movies and TV.

Our 16-year-old teen daughter learned a lot – not just about the places and the people we visited, but little things that make life more functional like how to navigate putting your passport somewhere you can reach it quickly, or paying attention to addresses and train numbers so you know what’s happening and can get around.

In preparation for our trip to England I’ve been reviewing the stereotypes I carry around in my head about England – so that I can thoroughly enjoy busting them with reality.