Reflections.

There are moments when we are traveling that take our breath away in the very instance  we are experiencing them and then there are moments that start us thinking and reflecting AFTER we've returned home from our travels. Often times, it's these moments that have the most impact.

On my most recent bullet -train- fast -trip to Japan, there were moments that beckoned my attention but in the hustle of the travel, were lost in the speed of it all. It's as though a dangling carrot of curiosity hung before me and before I could feed the curiosity, it was pulled away and another carrot dangled before me. Travel does that. It tickles your sense of curiosity and wonder and makes you think, sometimes not always offering you time to process the experience fully in the moment, but it works it's way into your soul and reveals that same momentary sense of curiosity in times you least expect.

While I was in Japan, the hustle of traveling on trains, buses, subways, boats and everything in between, I became an observer of my fellow travelers. I noticed the quiet disconnect of the Japanese commuters, I noticed everyone buried in their cell phones or fast asleep. While zig zagging human traffic on the streets of Japan, I noticed the lack of eye contact and the almost robotic movement of the people navigating their ways through the sea of people. Blank eyed and driven, the masses of people left me feeling quite invisible. Maybe that's how it is in most big cities, there's a sense of anonymity when you become one of millions but never the less, I noticed the disconnect from human interaction and I wasn't so sure I liked it. 

I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent in Japan but something wasn't setting right with me upon my return when I would speak about it. I didn't have the passionate vibe in the tone of my voice or in the sparkle of my eyes as I did when I spoke about my experiences in Peru, Mexico, El Salvador or even Alaska. I couldn't put a finger on why I didn't get so many "feels" from this trip . . . until today.

While thinking about my experience, I began to realize that what is important for  my soul to feel complete is that I need eye to eye contact. I need to connect with those I come in contact with and not in a superficial fleeting way. I need to feel more than just a number and more than just a tourist. I need conversation. I can count on one hand the number of people who looked me right in the eye and when it did happen, my soul sparked. Part of the issue was not being able to speak Japanese and not having the ability to sit down and visit with people and hear their story. 

I  speak Spanish so when I travel to Latin American countries, there are no issues with communication and connection. It's easy and effortless. In Japan, it wasn't easy and it wasn't effortless. Although we had an outstanding Japanese guide, I struggled through basic conversations, nodding heads and saying, " Okay, okay" and finishing the transaction with a smile and a nod. That was it. The connection was "lost in translation ",  so to speak.

We all travel with some sort of agenda in mind, whether we think we do or not, we do. We all carry some sort of expectation about how we want our trip to go. Sometimes it goes the way we want it to go and sometimes it's not /quite/ what we were thinking it would be. Either way, no matter the experience, there are after shocks of every trip that brings moments to our attention. It's important to pay attention to these after shocks because they are trying to tell us something. My personal experience of being isolated by language barriers, overwhelmed by masses of people and constant movement were definitely moments where I stretched myself out of my comfort zone. It was in moments of movement and quietude that I began to realize my sense of being uncomfortable and I wasn't sure how to process it all. I was in Japan! I was supposed to be having the time of my life ~ and to some degree I really was ~ but what was happening to me was that I was pushed very far from my own comfort zone and I was navigating in literally foreign waters, despite it being somewhat uncomfortable, I knew something deep was happening within me.

So here I am, back in suburban Minnesota, far from the masses of people on the streets of Japan, I reflect  upon my experiences that began to shape me from the moment I stepped foot on the airplane to Tokyo.  I realized that in order to see ourselves fully, we need to step out of our comfort zones. I can't stress that enough. It's never easy. It's not always pretty but it's always worthwhile. I went to Japan knowing darn well that I was venturing into unchartered territory that would challenge me and challenge me, it did! Less than a week back from spending nine days in Japan, I am feeling more fully aware of what it takes to fulfill my soul. I am appreciating the moments where I felt uneasy and uncertain for it helped me realize my own certainty of knowing what I need to feel and do to be complete. What is that, you might ask? It is the need for deep human connections, a gentle pace of life, green spaces and quiet moments as well as challenges that move me to continue to grow. 

Sometimes all it takes to get back to you is to remove yourself from the comfort of your nest, spread your wings and take flight into the winds of change and trust that the journey was just what you needed. This my friends is the power of stepping out of your comfort zone, whether it be by traveling or otherwise.

Viva la Vida!