Free.

I can't believe I did it...I actually was in Japan for a week and a half. There were times where it honestly felt like a dream...there was a surreal, lucid quality to the way the fog wrapped around the lush green mountains and rose from the sea. It truly was a feast for the senses, and the experience was a cleansing one, providing me with the clarity I particularly need at this point in my life. There's so much that I already miss: the rush of men clad in business suits through the streets and train stations (they are the modern equivalent of samurai, in many ways), the twinkling music that filled the train cars, the excellent food, the glow of the city lights in the nighttime, the clear, cool streams, the clean smell of the rainfall, being surrounded by curious schoolchildren, getting to use my broken Japanese with the natives, the incredible street fashion, the way time seemed to stand still...I could go on. So many stories to tell and photos to share, but the memories will ring in my mind and my heart forever. This is only the beginning...I fully intend to return someday, hopefully with someone that can enjoy the experience with me.