There are many ways to wander in Japan…

In 2007, a few months after a major loss, I joined an older Japanese volunteer on a trip to support remote mountain villages in Vietnam. Inside a traditional stilt house shared by several families, yet surprisingly clean and airy, I sat beside a mother and her young daughter.  We couldn't speak the same language but the mother offered me tea and a warm smile as I played with her little girl, while roosters crowed beneath the house.  Going to strange and beautiful lands, experiencing different cultures and befriending strangers became gateways for navigating a painful season of my life. 

I used to be the kind of person who hated traveling alone but I challenged myself to do this.  I went on an “independent tour” in which I hiked alone through the Austria/Germany border in the German Alps. Wilderness captivated me.  I hiked along the Michinoku coastline in Northern Japan with a friend and camped out in a tent for 3 nights.  I was never the “outdoorsy type” when I was younger but there I was, carrying a 10 kg backpack and wading through rivers and bushes, eating ramen out of a pot using a portable stove!  

Traveling brings a wonderful sense of renewal to the heart.  Through my journeys, I began to understand that being kind to myself helps me to enjoy a sense of aliveness.  I felt my sense of curiosity gradually return.  Just as stagnant mud stirred up from the bottom of a pond helps bring oxygen into the water, my soul began to receive the nourishment it needed to heal.  Once more I began to marvel and wonder.  To discover.  To imagine.  I wanted to live my life to the fullest and journeying became my gateway to fulfill that goal. 

A long time ago when I was pursuing a Master of Education in the University of Massachusetts Amherst, I became deeply inspired by the renowned “Reggio Emilia Approach” to early childhood education.  Loris Malaguzzi, the founder and revolutionary educator left an inspiring poem that became one of my own central philosophies:

“The child

is made of one hundred.

The child has

a hundred languages

a hundred hands

a hundred thoughts

a hundred ways of thinking”... 

(To read the full poem please visit this website)

My love for traveling led me to develop a new passion - Photography.  I became passionate about capturing my beautiful moments.  It led me to paint those moments as well.  Through traveling I was developing my 100 languages. I often find that, even decades later, a particular impression from a journey resurfaces, revealing a new insight. There will always be opportunities to reflect on your experiences, for a journey is always rich and nuanced.  There are a hundred journeys… and a hundred, hundred, hundred more.

Soon inbound tourism in Japan started booming.  Before I knew it people from all over the world kept pouring and pouring into Japan seeking unique cultural experiences and enjoying its beauty. I decided that it is a perfect time for me to be involved as a professional in traveling.  I am currently pursuing an official license as a tour guide in Japan.

What kind of a travel experience can I offer you?  Well, I am absolutely committed to supporting you in appreciating your hundred journeys in Japan, based on your curiosity so that you can remember your journey even decades later.  

I believe that experiencing a culture is always the most meaningful part of traveling.  Even if you don’t speak a word of Japanese, wouldn’t you love to interact and get to know the local people?  To accept their hospitality and engage with them?  This is where travelling with me comes in.  I don’t want to just provide you with historical information and tidbits about Japan.  I would love for you to thoroughly enjoy your engagement with Japanese people and culture.  Perhaps I can arrange a hands-on travel experience or simply support you in having a dialogue with someone sitting next to you.  A day with me is going to be your take-away. I aspire to include as many opportunities as possible for you to actually see, touch and feel the Japanese culture up close and personal.  Let me help you to take the best momentum home with photography, too!

(I am currently setting up a way to book a tour with me. Thank you for your patience. Please stay tuned to my next blog!)

Until next time, sayonara and Bon Voyage!