Reflections

I've been back stateside for a good, oh, two weeks-ish now. Figure I should post some reflections.

Japan seemed so alien when I arrived. I landed in an airport that was terribly hot and blindsided by people that spoke broken English who were attempting to help me locate my baggage, then given garbled instructions to take a thirty dollar bus to a location that would have a sign somewhere in the vicinity to help me get to my college. The vending machine was filled with strange drinks (and Coca Cola) and I was the only white person in visible distance. The ride up to campus was exhilarating, and the bustle on the campus grounds and in the dorms was fascinating and fast paced at first. It was a whole bunch of odd sensations all at once and I was overwhelmed and stayed that way for probably the first week or so there.

It was nice being in a place where I could get lost and remain just as content as if I were headed directly toward my destination. The canals and architecture continued fascinating me for some time and even continue to now to a certain extent. I would get lost in the city and wander around until I found a familiar landmark, and the whole time my senses would be bombarded with new sights, smells, sounds, sensations of all sorts. I was excited just to go to a convenience store and look around. I think lots of people feel this way when they're in a completely new surrounding.

Then the months began to drag on a bit. One location can only remain fascinating for so long. When it became repetitious in the schedule of going to classes, doing homework, going grocery shopping, going downtown for the weekend, drinking in a friends room, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, it became almost monotonous. The scenery was still beautiful and I cannot deny that the local area still had some allure to it, but the wow factor of it began to recede. It all became background. After a time, you're doing the same things you would back where you came from, simply in a different language. It's comforting but it the same time things become a bit, well, dull. Joining the onsen club (Senjinkai!) was good for that, as it allowed me to see the local area from a somewhat different perspective (onsen culture tends to cater really toward a Japanese view) but there is only so much that one can do when they're stationary for so long. Eventually you just run out of options.

Traveling was phenomenal. It rekindled what love I had for the country that I was in. The sites I saw reminded me if the history which was my main interest in the culture (surprise surprise, it's not cartoons and video games) and the shrines, temples, and historical areas I visited were beautiful, unique locales that I could never regret having the opportunity to visit. Nara is one of my favorite cities ever and I would go there again if I could. I got to experience a number of places and see plenty of sights, and yes I was in Tokyo. I did plenty of things that I set out to do, and more things I didn't know there were to do.

Unfortunately this made going back to Beppu seem so much more dull in comparison. In between my vacations was just filled with anticipation for the next time I'd be able to travel around.

Thank God I made friends with people to help me through that, though. There were plenty of individuals that made life in the area more bearable, and I hope that at least some of the friendships I've made will have chances to rekindle themselves at later points in life. I know I probably won't see most of the people I met again but I really do send my best wishes out to all of them. It was an international experience and we all benefited from it. We were enriched and enlightened and I wish everyone that I met is successful and happy in the rest of their days. And to those few that I'll meet again, I look forward to it.

And the food. I'll miss the food. I'll have to make it back to the Ramen Stadium someday.

I guess I'd have to say that Japan, as with most places, is probably somewhere better to visit than to live in. I'm of the belief that if you stay in one place too long then that place is just like everywhere else, but anywhere that you simply pass through retains a sort of magic in your mind's eye that doesn't fade with age.

That being said, I don't regret having lived in Japan at all. I regret not bringing more money along so that I would have had the opportunity to do even more things, but I am glad and thankful for the opportunity to have gone. It's something I'll carry with me forever. It was a learning experience in many more ways than the academic sense.

And this blog was enjoyable too, when I bothered to update, and when I bothered to put effort into it.

Thank you to everyone that read it. I sincerely hope that you were at least mildly entertained by the ramblings of a mad man that apparently has enough ego to fill a page about his life almost daily. You whom read this were a part of the journey too, so I hope I didn't make it too unbearable.

This journal is ending now, at least for the time being. The entire purpose of it was to chronicle my adventures in Japan. If I ever travel again (and I hope that I do) then I'll start it back up, ruining any effect that this farewell statement causes.

For the time being, if you care, I'll be arbitrarily updating at this link, so come along and walk the box.

It has an update schedule, but it should probably just be ignored. I mean, it's not like I ever stick to those things anyways.

--Roshi