JAPAN

40s

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I’ve realised that I can’t really imagine what the next ten years will look like. When I was heading towards my 30th, I used to have conversations with Jelai about the next big step, like we always do. We talked about the challenges we were facing and the quiet pressure to keep moving forward.

A few days before my 40th this April, I made a deliberate pause. I spent weeks looking back at the last decade. The last time I remember stopping to take stock that way was during those conversations with my closest friend. I found myself asking questions. What actually happened in between? Can I remember everything clearly, or only the highlights? Will I start forgetting more things as I age? And if I’m honest with myself, am I at peace with how I spent those ten years?

Ten years can really slip by without us noticing.

Up on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine in the Northern Japan Alps

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The Winter Vacation Kids Will Love

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The long holiday of Christmas and New Year just wonderfully ended! It was a 2-week vacation of icy wind hunting with family in Baguio and food feasting with close friends. My 2017 was very exhausting but the long vacation have given me enough drive to start 2018 with brighter hopes. I hope you did too! Happy Winter!

The welcoming spirit of 2018 has enthused me to turn my laptop on and continue writing this 2-month old draft blog. This was meant to be posted before the holiday in hopes you would have more ideas for a good snowy holiday. I hope I am not too late! I wish you booked a trip to Hokkaido for the first two weeks of February.

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One Calm Day in Yanagawa City

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I and Jelai decided to forego Dazaifu. We simply did not have enough time for two cities that day.

With express train ticket, map & coupons in our hands, I and Jelai walked to a platform with “Omuta bound” analog signage. And like most days, Jelai continued to a vendo for her daily intake of coffee.

The express train came on time. We followed everyone on the platform into the train and then sat in front of a giggling Japanese couple.

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Story Time: Unpreparedness is Fun

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If you’ve been reading my recent blogs on Fukuoka, you may already know the purpose of my visit there. Up until today I feel sad for only allowing myself to spend a week in this city. I and Jelai were at first dazed by the 7 days we needed to stay there. But man, by 5th day, I was already grunting with the reality of leaving Fukuoka.

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A First of Airbnb

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Traveling like a local sounds cliche to me but can’t ignore how this line keeps me grounded when experiencing new things in a different country. I become more accepting and ready for discomfort. And as I evolve in my travels, I become more intrigued on how it feels to live, eat, sleep and wake up in a local house.

Local House as Travel Accommodation. A house that I can throw my stuff around and lounge on the spacious floor, a kitchen where I can cook meals and a bathroom for myself.

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I learned from travels and research that hotels are indeed capitalists in spite of little things I can only do with their amenities. I stayed many times in hostels and guesthouses and I can still say these are still the accommodations that worth of every peso I pay. However, the catch with hostels and guesthouses is I always need to make sure my stuff are secured.

I want a place where I can say I am home but I am traveling.

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