lost in japan

i just got back from 12 days in japan. roaming the country on airplane mode without a data plan. i had no real itinerary other than a few neighbourhoods i wanted to check out. i believe winging it is the best way to travel. having a rigid plan removes the possibility of adventure. if you’re not open to checking out a garden the following day that a local at a bar recommended, you’ll never see the real parts of a country. if you’re not prepared to have an occasional bad meal then you won’t find the memorable ones. 

sometimes i’ll see those tour guide groups that advertise “bar hop like a local” and i think, well you could just do that... you know… without the tour group. but i get it, sometimes there’s a fear in the unknown, the language barrier, the new food item on the menu, the restaurant outside your comfort zone. but travel shouldn’t always be comfortable. neither should life. i want to find the edges and push past them. because for me, that’s where the good stuff is.

-felix