taurus season in Japan

Everyday is beyond my imagination

Hello beloved friends

I visited a 1,000 year old Gingko tree and these owl guardians were everywhere

me and the 1000 year old Ginkgo tree

I am having an incredible time in Japan

It is not as perfect as it looks on Instagram, but it is incredible. I can’t wait to share more thoughts soon, but for now photos!

There was a giant teddy bear at the ramen spot we had dinner at tonight, so kawaiiii

A delicious bowl of ramen for 750yen. I ate it with a asahi super dry and homemade chili paste

Last night our air bnb host took us to an izakaya, basically a bar with snacks and drinks, and we ordered beers with a scoop of ice cream

I also had chicken sashimi for the first time

Chicken sashimi is not possible in the US and in most places, but the chickens in Japan are very well cared for.

it is light seared on one side. It tastes smooth and buttery. It was juicy and melted in my mouth.

My host made a big deal of filming our first ever bites of raw chicken, and as a result captured this beautiful moment between me and my best friend, zumi

zumi is the reason I am in Japan, and i’m so grateful for their presence in my life. We met during a political action in 2015. In zumis presence, safety and laughter came easily. A few months later we became roommates, cementing our bond. We only lived together for 9 months before zumi moved to Seattle, but later in December 2020 they moved back to the same building and became my neighbor.

Friendship is political.

Our liberation depends on our ability to genuinely give a fuck about each other, simultaneously it is important to avoid self sacrifice and martyrdom.

Zumi and I share values around care and intention, and zumi is also so good at boundaries. They teach me so much about both topics (care and boundaries)

There is of course occasional conflict between us, as is human. I am overall impressed by our mostly harmonious dynamic and the way we are able to navigate multiple modes of transportation and logistics relatively stress free.

It often feels like our combined energies bring out the magic in the world, like when we befriended our air bnb host, Manabu and spent two nights out on the town with him and his girlfriend Yuki.

My biggest take away at this time is that it is good to hold expectations loosely, and to allow the moment to be what it needs to be.

I came into this trip with ideas and images of what could happen and what should happen, like I should visit the onsen as much as possible, and this trip has gently pushed me to release expectations and attachments.

I am a taurus, so sometimes I get attached to ideas or fantasies, and on this trip it has helped me to acknowledge and allow my dissappointment, while also nudging myself towards gratitude and presence.

When I can open to the present moment there are so many gifts for me.

LOVE YOU THANKS FOR READING