Last summer, I had the absolute privilege of traveling to Japan to join a conference from the Society for Philosophy and Technology (SPT). The trip came in the midst of an emotional rollercoaster, the result of a wildly unexpected turn of events that had me feeling like a character from a Jane Austen’s novel adaptation in 21st-century’s Netherlands.

Because I was busy trying not to lose my sanity, I sort of forgot to prepare for my big trip, which is what I usually do whenever I go somewhere new. You know, learn a few words to say ‘thank you’ or ‘sorry I bumped into you’ to the locals; make sure I won’t unintentionally offend anyone, carefully assess what I must see and how I can get there to see it, etc. This time, I had no plans. Zero. Nul. I had a plane ticket, a few hotel bookings that my colleagues were kind enough to consider me in, and the thrill of my unfolding novel to drag along with me across all corners of Japan.

My god, that country absolutely blew my mind. I landed in Tokyo and stayed there enough time to feel drunk by the overwhelming citynness of it. The signs! The sea of people’s umbrellas crossing the streets in all directions! Tokyo became a neon-lighted carousel of cocktails, karaoke, and late-night convenience-store onigiris. I then traveled to the countryside and witnessed the magnificence of the archipelago’s mountains and lakes. The way the bright, grey fog would softly meet the green hills! The thickness of the forest! The smell of the moss taking over every single little stone! I went to Kyoto and learned more about ancient Japanese culture. I felt the joy of holding a warm cup of matcha in my two hands; of smelling miso warming up on Ramen broth; of hearing the striking of strings from the koto. I arrived to the last city, Osaka. That city was so incredibly over the top in all the ways that make my heart jump inside of my chest. I don’t know. There were giant octopuses and crabs hanging from the top of the buildings; people queuing up in every corner to buy delicious food. I needed an extra pair of eyes to take it all in.

After three weeks of adventures, I had learned more Japanese customs and phrases that I could’ve ever dreamed of. I came back to a last night in Tokyo, to a hotel where the reception was managed by robot dinosaurs. I’m not even kidding. A robot T-rex asked me for my passport. I took a walk around the neighbourhood and bought some of my favorite Japanese things to bring back home: A bunch of 7-Eleven Matcha donuts and a bottle of plum wine. I brought instant noodles to the hotel room, made a final mess in Japan, and slept with a smiling heart.

What an honor, really, to have witnessed those unbelievable sights and experienced those indescribable adventures, all while wearing my heart on my sleeve. I know now I would not have changed any of it. I wouldn’t have planned it any differently. I wouldn’t have rushed it or made it slower. The way it all happened was absolutely perfect.

It’s been only a few months, yet it feels like I’ve changed quite a lot since that trip. The emotional rollercoaster ride is now more like a canoe ride on a slow river, and the experiences I once vividly embodied in Japan have turned into beautiful, hazy memories.

The pictures I took do no justice to the actual beauty of the country, but I’ve still decided to showcase them all in a little corner of the world wide web. So now, if you are curious to see Japan through my cyborg eye, you can check out the gallery by following this link:

https://giggling-in-japan.tumblr.com/

p.s. the theme is a bit wobbly, so if you see pictures stacking over each other just refresh the page 😉