The beginning of 2011 was stressful and fast-paced for me. Work was insane, school was even crazier, and my mental needed a change of scenery - I was desperate. I needed to get out of my head, and what better place to do that than a big city that stimulates all of my senses? New York? Ehh, maybe next year. LA? This ain't the season. Then a light-bulb went off: Tokyo. Of course!
JAPAN?! Do you even know how to speak Japanese? No? Well, how do you expect to get around? How are you going to order food? Aren't those file cabinets they sleep in uncomfortable? Why do you even want to go there?! Dude. I have a map and know how to use chopsticks. I'll find a way to make it work.
A month and a half later, I was on a plane, headed for the grandest adventure of my life.
You see, a lot of people laughed at this Tokyo pipe dream of mine. They didn't understand how I could possibly want to go there so bad. But I find solace in huge cities; even when everything around me is moving too quickly (both figuratively and literally), there can still be quietness in my soul. I find an unexpected sense of peace when I'm standing on a busy sidewalk, people zigzagging around me, bright lights in the backdrop. In those moments, I am comforted by my smallness. Little ol' me: a tiny speck in the big, big picture.
bet you never made it rain in yen
octopus balls. beyond. delicious.
gettin' my spiritual cleanse on in yoyogi park
stacks upon stacks
night-time romance in the streets
i ate a lot of ramen
it's true - i do
akihabara! akihabara!
i wore my military jacket far too much.
all my pictures look like they were taken on the same day.
tokyo at its best
happiness. best decision i ever made.
Aww Linda!! This is amazing!! :D Such an experience!
ReplyDeleteTotally makes want to go! Looks like newyork but way cooler :) such inspiration out there!!!
ReplyDeletePs I need that military jacket please... Thanks!
Thanks, girls! I wish we could do a Tokyo takeover... The fashion! Oh, the fashion...
ReplyDeleteso awesome Linda, I would have never thought of Tokyo as a place to want to go visit...I'm still ascared since I'm such a talker I would need to know the language where I'm going but I'm coming around to the idea that it wouldn't be so bad.
ReplyDeleteit is scary when you don't know the language, but somehow it works!
ReplyDeleteI stumbled across your lovely blog and came upon this post. I have been wanting to go to Tokyo for a long time and I just want to ask how much should I save/take? Were hotels expensive? I know the flights are. LOVE your blog. xx
ReplyDeleteThank you!
ReplyDeleteTokyo is an expensive city and the yen is worth more than the dollar, so I suggest saving a few thousand dollars for flight/hotel and being in the city. And you can pretty much stay anywhere in Tokyo as long as it's close to a train. It's easy to get around and Tokyo is really safe. Hope that helps!