I have some free time now, so I guess I should talk about the Japan trip earlier in October.
Honestly, this trip was planned way back in February this year. Back then, things seemed pretty rosy and nice. I got my first job in the architecture field since getting my degree, my pay was decent, I had a great and patient boss, and I had work-life balance, something I feared I would have to give up upon entering this line of work.
Unfortunately things kind of went downhill. It almost seemed like this trip wasn’t going to happen, which tends to be the case when you hype things up too much. I’ve had too many experiences with that. Even my parents were telling me not to go anymore, but I refused to listen. This was something to reward myself; to get away from it all and relax. There is no point pushing yourself to the point of emotional collapse. Make no mistake, times are still stressful for me, and it is even more so that this Japan trip proved to be a much needed breather in my life.
Amazingly it would seem, this was also my first solo trip. Okay technically I traveled with Brandon during the second half of the trip, but the initial plan was to go solo all along, with occasional meet ups with my Japanese friends there. I still had the solo days, and they were great. I could go wherever I wanted to go – places where no one else would be keen on going; and I could choose not to go to places where most people would have wanted to pay visits to. I traveled and figured out the train lines in Osaka by myself, at my own pace. It was so relaxing yet the energy and motivation gathered from the travelling mood got me going as well.
Part 1 is mostly about Osaka itself, there is no point talking about each and every place I visited, so I’ll talk the main points. I was glad I was able to pace myself well and figure out the locations of places well enough. It was also a good thing I knew basic Japanese I guess. While there were still communication breakdowns, I was glad that they were limited. That being said, the last full day in Osaka itself was spent with Yumi, a friend whom I have not seen since December 2012. I have caught up with her via Facebook a couple of times and even Skyped her once, but it was still so good seeing her again. Ordering food and just getting my points across has never been easier since she was there to do all the talking for me. I also caught up with Brandon, whom I woud travel with for the 2nd half of the trip. Last but not least, I met up with Rumi as well. Another one whom I have not met since December 2012, she was another face I was glad to see.
My Airbnb was located in the quiet little suburb of Tamatsukuri. I am certain that it is due to my 2 years in Launceston that I have an affinity for such quaint places. There really isn’t much going on there. I kick off my mornings with coffee and cigarettes at the Lawson Station which is just a stone’s throw away from where I stayed and off I went on a new adventure for 8 days. That was how I ended most nights as well.
I have always described the solo travel part of my trip as therapeutic, but I have also realized one more thing – I felt free.
Photos from phone:
Photos from DSLR:
Video:
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