I wrote this month’s blog in the maelstrom between returning from a 3-week trip abroad, packing the remaining 30% of an apartment, and relocating across the continental US.
SONG INSPIRATION
This month’s blog is inspired by Migos’, Stir Fry.
THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM – JAPAN
Japan no longer feels like a faraway place after the 3rd time. Instead, it felt like a homecoming and like little or no time had passed since I’d lived there. Despite the brief visit, I was overjoyed to reconnect with my Japanese teachers, visit new and familiar places (e.g., Shibuya, Osaka, Himeji), reconnect with friends, and share my experiences. I’m already thinking about where I’d like to visit/explore in Japan on my next visit. Fukuoka? Sapporo? Nagoya? Tottori? Return to Hakone or Takayama? There’s still so much for me to explore in the land of the rising sun. I’ve returned to Japan every two years (i.e., 2019, 2021, and 2023), so maybe this is the beginning of a trend. Here’s to Japan 2025?
AOTEAROA (NEW ZEALAND)
From one subduction island arc to the next. After leaving Japan, I hopped over to Aotearoa (via Hong Kong), otherwise known as New Zealand. I’ve wanted to visit this country since I learned of its striking landscape after watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy. That said, it wasn’t in my top 10 countries to visit. It’s very far away and I wasn’t as familiar with its culture, but I couldn’t have been more…well, ignorant. New Zealand was a breathtaking country with a rich culture, sublime landscape, mouthwatering seafood/cheese, and some of the kindest, most laid-back people I’d ever met. It reminded me of a combination of Hawai’i, Japan, and Iceland and rightly so with its combination of Polynesian, Asian, and European influences. I had a chance to visit The Shire, a redwood forest, an island of vineyards, hot springs, and eat the best meal of my life. The caveat is that all of this transpired across a limited portion of the North Island. I’ve yet to visit the South Island which I’ve heard is a place of surreal beauty. It’s only fair that I return to New Zealand to explore everything I missed.
THE FINAL PUSH
It’s the homestretch. The apartment is barren and the last Relocube has been loaded. An orchestra of logistics must now come together to ensure a relatively smooth transition to a new home. Deliveries, deadlines, utilities, and flights. By the time you read this, I should be on a flight to N’Angland…or maybe already there. And I’ll spend the next month unpacking, decorating, and adjusting to the brutal cold. I’m anxious, excited, exasperated, exhausted, and exhilarated. Most of all, I’m ready to put all of this moving behind me and start a new chapter.
YOU SUGGEST FUTURE TOPICS!
Here’s your chance, dear and beloved reader, to suggest topics for future blogs. As much as I love dreaming up new topics to discuss and explore, I’m also interested in what topics/perspectives you’d like me to write about. Feel free to suggest topics for future blogs in the comments or contact me directly. I look forward to hearing from you!
CURRENT BOOKS AND SHOWS
Recently finished: N/A
Currently watching: The Crown (s5); The Venture Bros. (s3)
Currently reading: Wine for Dummies; A Modern History of Japan
Thank you for reading! My next blog is scheduled for Thursday, March 9th. Until next time….
The Planetary Novelist 