One month in Japan, a Retrospective

Its a funny thing traveling alone.

There are moments of overwhelming newness. Incomprehensible language. New foods and drinks and smells. Hand gestures and eye contact. New rules and being embarrassed because you just did something a small child knows not to do. Meeting incredible new people. Conversations about things never imagined.

There are moments of isolated loneliness. Hours on trains and buses. Eating dinner by yourself. Its a lot of time to spend alone in your own head.

Its a cycle of too much followed by too little. I wouldn't change it for anything.

Balance of planning all details of when and where and how while simultaneously allowing the winds of fate to direct your course.

I simultaneously crave more alone time and more conversation. Eating dinner by yourself. Meeting people. New culture, new food, new language, new body language and hand gestures. Complete self-reliance. Endless possibilities.

The statement I hear the most from back home is, "... you will come home with a Japanese wife..." Likely wrong on both counts.

The question I get the most here (after where are you from and where have you been) is, "Why?" I've got a nice speech worked out about how my father was in the military in Hokkaido and brought some Japanese culture home with him. Growing up with these ideas of sumi-ie and wabi-sabi, I wanted to see it all for myself. People seem satisfied with that answer, but its only a small part of the truth.

So why am I here? I dunno exactly... In part, to enjoy Japan. To experience the beautiful culture and wonderful people. In part, it is a coming of age journey to find my voice without the cultural comforts and routines of "home". In part I'm giving the middle finger to a lifestyle of chasing money and status.

Its been a month of incredibly beautiful new views. Its been an intense internal conversation. Amazing people with wonderful demonstrations of hospitality and friendship. Its been a month of discomfort and making mistakes. Its been a month of Wow! and What? and Whoa! and Oishii and Kirei!

A month of discovery and learning. Its been fun.