Written by
Deanna Ferrante
Deanna Ferrante currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children ages seven and three. She has always been afflicted with wanderlust, having lived in Germany for a year after college, and traveling as much as her budget would allow. In 2005, seven weeks after giving birth to her second child, Deanna and her family moved to Tokyo, Japan for two years. Her family's motto was "make the most of every moment," and they tried to squeeze as much travel and cultural immersion as was possible with a newborn in a country where they didn't speak the language. Two years later when they headed back to the States, Deanna had climbed Mt. Fuji, was conversant in Japanese, and was committed to bringing home some Japanese traditions so the children wouldn't forget their experiences in Japan. Everyone takes their shoes off when they come into the house, they still eat Japanese meals on a regular basis (Deanna bought a rice cooker as soon as she returned home), and they even found a cherry blossom festival in Newark this past spring. Pied Piper Kids in Deanna's hometown of Cranbury sells an assortment of Tea clothing, and Deanna loves the fabrics, colors and designs that remind her of Japan.