Words to Describe my Travels
A significant portion of my time this last year was spent wandering through a storm of rapid change, with bountiful adventures always within reach - so long as I was willing to reach for them.
When the oncoming storm arrived, life required an immeasurable amount of flexibility and a valiant spirit to navigate the barriers.
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When you live with anxiety as a long-time friend, it’s easy to overlook - even forget, in time - the courage it takes to overcome personal barriers.
Turns out, investing the time and energy into my life took just as much courage as traveling to Japan solo.
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When the world around me calls my name, I give myself the chance to listen.
By doing this, I go on some amazing side quests that show me how beautiful the indirect pathway can be.
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Coming out of my stricter ‘no roaming’ disciplines of academia, I found myself lost in the free-roaming world of life.
To find my way, I embraced the chaos that surrounded me and accepted that maybe I was exactly where I was meant to be.
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Spending energy to take the scenic route is daunting in a fast-paced society, but giving myself the space and time to explore and heal comes back in abundance.
By trusting the journey and the feelings it brings to the surface, I found myself at peace, able to reconnect with the present moment.
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Rediscovering my passion for photography was something I had been expecting, but never to the extent that it occurred.
Without realizing it I had an abundance of creative energy with no outlet to pour the excess into, and without a way to tap into that potential flow
In an act of raw inspiration, I created my own outlet - and I look forward to the way it evolves in time.
Go with the flow.
Sometimes we need extra support.
It’s natural when we’re trying to heal and grow.
Courage
Following graduation, life became a fierce storm of change that left me anxious for what was to come. It was a storm of my own design that became rampantly out of control - as it often does with life.
Rather than running from my preordained fate, I chose to seek out the eye of the storm to learn about the flow of this fierce current.
I realized a great many things, riding this roller-coaster.
Fundamentally, it takes courage for anyone to be curious when they’re scared and worried, and the same applies to myself for having the courage to wander around in this storm - and to find enough peace to let my vibrations stretch out in the curious manner that I yearn for.
So I’m wandering my way through this storm with courage and curiosity, intuitively guided by my wonder, admiration and enthusiasm for experiencing the world unconstrained.
Curiosity
As a natural-born wanderer, I often have a destination but allow myself the chance to be flexible and get lost on my journey - I listen to the voice of my soul with the intent to learn and understand the world around and within me.
I’ve been led down lesser traveled trails, familiar side roads, and foreign paths that show me hidden gems like the Ōkōchi Sansō Gardens; letting myself explore - not just locations, but exploring my equipment and tools - has inadvertently expanded the limits of my perspective, which also stretches my internal framework in response.
Curiosity has proven to be a strong muscle that helps me to catch the winds of change, passing me through forests of connection and coasts of possibilities with strangers and friends alike.
By rooting myself deeper in my curiosity, a world of love and warmth has emerged in response.
Healing
In the pursuit of my degrees, I had limited time to slow down unless I risked falling behind and missing my mark. Years of this routine can shape this to be normal, thus making peace a trigger for restlessness and tension.
This tension, which braces in the presence of serenity, can loosen over time with the correct exposure - and an added pinch of patience, if there’s the space for it.
I gave myself that patience, to be lost and uncertain of which direction was correct - as if there ever was a ‘correct’ direction in the first place.
In amongst the storm, I sank into the present moment and trusted the vessel I had built for myself. Doing so finally gave me the chance to rest my mind and body from the weight of stress and excessive worrying.
In doing this… I met a new version of myself.
Profound
Direction
I live by the saying that the journey teaches you a lot about the destination, and I’ve tapped into a wealth of wisdom and energy by following this path.
Along the way, I realized something important: How can I be lost when I don’t even know where I’m trying to go?
I’m now wise enough to recognize that the real opportunities are available in the present.
Trust
Change is, and always will be, inevitable; rather than fighting the natural current, I decided to catch these winds of change and trust the journey it’ll take me on.
By trusting the flow and not rushing life, I was able to make the most of my present situation, thus widening the scope of my reality and imagination.
Perspective
The scenic route - too often seen as frivolous and prolonging arriving at our destination - exposes us to a world of possibility for arts, aesthetic, humanities, science, and everything inward-and-outward between.
The truth is that it gives us the opportunity to heal and explore, soothing our stressed bodies, minds, and souls; the weightlessness that comes from this tranquility awakens us to the possibilities currently in front of us.
What once felt terrifying can eventually become a source of creative inspiration, much like change once was for me.
Inspirational
In time, the energy I invested into taking the scenic route and diving into the storm had come back in abundance.
I’ve been overflowing with creative energy, so in an act of raw inspiration born out of this overflowing creativity, I assembled this outlet to channel the flow of energy.
I am finally unveiling my creations, in hopes that sharing a chalice of light from my life - the seeds I’ve harvested from my own little world - someday blossoms to brighten someone else’s day (even if it’s only by a small glimmer).
Personal Anecdote
*Tock*
I stop. I pause. I listen. When the noise fades from my consciousness, I continue down my path - however, my path has changed. This change wasn’t physical, for the bridge remained its normal state. No, this change was spiritual; time felt slower and more meticulous - each each one of my movements became intentional, down to the feel of my heel hitting the pavement, rolling up the arch of my foot up to my toes.
That distinct noise, of the bamboo hitting the stone when it’s full of water, only happened once. But I only needed it once for my soul to slow down.
As my soul slowed down and loosened up, my next breath went further and deeper than my lungs could ever carry that breath.
Indeed, it went down to my very soul.
Photography is one of many pleasures and hobbies, but I didn’t have the chance to explore my photography for a long time.
My inner artist has been charmed, my inner child healed, and my soul soothed by Japan…
So here I am, reclaiming my energy, my passions, and my life.
I look forward to returning to Nihon (Japan) this coming Spring, when I’ll have the opportunity to explore new and familiar wonders once more. My only hope is to see Cherry Blossoms in bloom at least once - but I know that regardless, I’ll have an amazing adventure~
Thank you for taking the time to read about this collection!
Baria ("Barrier" at Ryoanji Hojo Teien)
Benchi to Tatemono ("Bench & Building" on the way to Rurikō-in)
Fuji-san ("Fuji" From Enoshima Island)
Fushigi ("Wonder" at TeamLab Planets)
Hansha ("Reflection" at Rirukō-in)
Heiwa ("Peace" at Rurikō-in)
Hizashi ("Ray of Sunshine" in Ryoanji Hojo Teien)
Hyōryū ("Drifting" at TeamLab Planets)
Kamifubuki ("Confetti" in TeamLab Planets)
Kassō ("Glide" at Rirukō-in)
Komichi ("Pathway" at Ryoanji Hojo Teien)
Odayakana ("Serene" in Ryoanji Hojo Teien)
Onpu ("Musical Note" on Enoshima Island)
Renai ("Falling in Love" on Enoshima Island)
Seishin ("Spirit" within Arashiyama)
Shien suru ("Assist" in Ryoanji Hojo Teien)
Shiten ("Perspective" near Rurikō-in)
Yagura ("Tower" of Rirukō-in)
Yūbae ("Sunset Glow" on Enoshima Island)
Zen-pai (at Ryoanji Hojo Teien)
Tori ("Bird" at Orochi Sanso Gardens)
Take ("Bamboo" at Arashiyama Bamboo Forest)
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