Day 89: My last night in Japan

Tonight is my last night in Japan. I am sitting in my capsule bunk awash in souvenirs and gifts, figuring out how to pack it all into my limited baggage space.

Normally I am pretty conservative when it comes to buying touristy things on a trip, but I have surprised myself on this occasion. I suppose being outside the norm was the entire purpose of this trip, so I have definitely embodied that with all the little trinkets I have bought for friends and family back home.

One of a bajillion trinkets I have to find space for in my bag!


I wasn't sure how I would feel to reach the end of the trip, and perhaps tomorrow I will feel differently once I reach the airport.  But right now I am looking forward to headed out and making my way home.  I feel very satisfied by my trip, by what I have accomplished and what I have learned.  

Inside I can feel the mechanism of personal change slowly working, and outside I can see some more apparent changes as well. My legs obviously in better shape and my weight down from all the walking. I feel calm, happy and rested in a way that I haven't in at least a decade. My heart rate slower than it has ever been.

Leaving the brisk Tokyo weather, I know that going home will be a shock. Here it is usually 8-10°C and rainy as winter approaches, but I know that I'll be driving into proper Canadian winter for the first time in a few decades when I get home.  It's not a thought I relish at all.

But there will also be a culture shock in reverse I suspect. I have become accustomed to life on the road, with little more to concern myself with than the pack on my back, the road under my feet and the next place to sleep for the night.  I have spoken very infrequently over these past few months, sometimes going days without saying anything at all. Returning to life again, with normal responsibilities and regular interactions will be a bumpy transition. 

Tomorrow I am up at 8am and getting my feet moving in Japan for the last time on this trip as I set out for Narita airport.  While I don't know how I will feel about leaving, I can tell you with absolute certainty that I will not enjoy having to pack myself into Tokyo trains during the morning commuter rush with a giant pack strapped to my back.  

Perhaps the most challenging leg of this journey is yet to come!

For now it will be a quiet evening. A cheap meal,  probably at the local convenience store, as I don't want to take out any more yen, and then diligently packing my pack fuller than it has ever been before. 

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