JAPAN!

Japan is definitely one of my favorite countries in the world. Everything about it, from the people to the architecture to the history, is so beautiful. I’ve never before imagined the possibility of a city built around a mountain where the fusion of urban life and nature works so well. If you get tired of roaming the streets, you can take a cable car to the top of Mt. Rokko and explore the herb gardens there that look out over Kobe. I found myself completely fascinated with everything Japanese because I kept looking at in a New York context. It was like the city, only everything was in Japanese and the Japan Rail is way more efficient then the subway system. It’s also extremely clean and there are parks in almost all city centers for people to enjoy the outdoors whenever they feel like it. There are even public libraries in the parks so you can check out a book and read it there. I realized that Japanese society is very much about living well and doing what works. It’s an extremely sustainable place, both environmentally and mentally, and the people who live there seem very relaxed and happy. Most people walk or ride their bikes everywhere and the pace of life (while somewhat fast-paced) is still quite tranquil. I know this wounds weird, but maybe the coolest thing we did there was go to the movies. The theater was located on the ninth floor of a high-rise building and it felt like more of a night at the Met then it did a night at the movies. There was assigned seating and tickets were almost $20. That’s maybe the only negative thing about Japan- it is super expensive. I bought some Hello Kitty gum that was $6. Other than that, Kyoto was nice and I loved how ancient palaces exist within modern society. Can you even imagine a castle just chilling next to Madison square garden? That’s somewhat how Japan is. Anyway, now that I’m a chopstick expert and an official world traveler, I’ve been trying to fill the endless hours on the ship. We’re five days into our eight-day trip to Hawaii and then it’s about five more days after that to the US. It’s so strange that I’m about to be home. While I’m ready to return, I’m overwhelmed at the same time with everything I just experienced. It’s crazy when you realize that no matter you do, you’re perception of life and everything surrounding the context of living is forever altered. And even though our voyage is about to come to an end, it’s something I could never possibly forget because it has made an irreversible impact on my life.