Landed at Narita at 2 AM PST / 8 PM JST, my third visit to Japan. I decided to take the “sky access” train in to town because of the many options for getting from Narita, that one was cheap and fast enough, but when I got to the counter, I accidentally said “skyliner.” No biggie, though, it goes to Tokyo a bit faster for a bit more yen. Perhaps it was for the best because I would need to arrive at my accommodation before 10 or else wait until 10 the next morning to drop off my bags.

I’d rather be overwhelmed than underwhelmed when it comes to public transit.

I managed to get to my ryokan (traditional hotel) before the end of the check-in window with only minor incident: At Ueno station I needed cash to buy fare for the metro, but the ATM there didn’t like my debit card. Eventually I tried my credit card and that worked. Hope I’m not charged any exorbitant fees for using my credit card at an ATM in Japan… My room at the ryokan. All mine, all 50 sq feet!

For my first meal, I made a bee line to the 7-eleven and got some sandos and a salad. Healthy and economical. After I finish writing this I’ll see what’s going on around here on a Wednesday evening.

So, why am I here again?

I can’t give one simple reason. My motivation to do anything is usually multifaceted and this is no exception…

Is it possible to fall in love with a place? Not anything specific about it, just the place itself? I can’t say exactly what it is, but I feel something like love. If I had to give a reason, maybe it’s the richness and depth of the culture. Maybe it’s the way they generally treat customers and guests with so much care. Maybe it’s the dynamic landscapes of lush mountains and blue waters crisscrossed by bullet trains. Maybe it’s the public transit, the convenient lifestyle possible in Tokyo, the availability and affordability of healthy food…

I’m looking forward to seeing how well I can deploy what I’ve learning about the language and culture. It’s an intellectual and spiritual as well as geographical adventure.

Finally, immanent long-term travel makes me appreciate my normal day to day life. Without such a break planned, it’s too easy to slip into mindless routines, subconsciously killing time. Here I feel like a bumbling neophyte. I have to stop and think about almost everything…