Farewells Part 1

I can feel the days slipping away into the heat, and I'm not really keeping track anymore. This internship experience is not meant to be calculated one day at a time. Rather, it is like a breath, something absorbed yet simultaneously escapes from you for the time being. But Tokyo's atmosphere has definitely sunken into my skin, and like a good soak in the onsen, it has definitely been good for me. It's hard to write this knowing that I'll begin to pack my bags in my little cubby hole of a guest house within the next week or so. It has been home for quite some time now, and as with all good things, I have to let them go.

I finally took some time to go up to the observatory of Tokyo Tower. While it was a tourist frenzy,  I did manage to creep in between people for some amazing shots of Tokyo. While I wish I had brought a DSLR to really capture the view, my little point-and-shoot (even if it did run of batteries far too quickly when I was up there) did its job like with most of the other photos. It was particularly poignant to be up there toward this latter half of the experience, particularly as an opportunity to reflect.

The color really stands out here against the color of the sky.

A little tunnel to welcome you to Tokyo Tower. Note the mist to keep guests cool!

Totally a fan of weird architecture. I wish I knew what that building was.

Love the water.

The winding highways and cars really remind me of the States.

The elevator goes by meters! 

Tokyo Tower shrine. Paid my respects, of course.

Seeing Tokyo from this sort of aerial view was surreal. I was seeing the city in new ways as if I had just landed. That's what has always impressed me about Tokyo: its ability to unveil parts of itself in the most unexpected ways. Tokyo, like any other city, is a dynamic entity. Whether or not we as individuals notice or not, the city will continually change. And in some small way, we have a hand in it, and I think that's what is truly beautiful about opportunities abroad. The culture changes you just as you might change it. This cultural exchange is a layered process from the most superficial to the most deep. It starts with a bit of culture shock, and you eventually find yourself changed at the core.

I was asked at work yesterday why, as an English major and non-Japanese speaking individual, I would ever consider coming to Japan. In a way, I could never really come up with a complete answer to that question. In fact, I would be an idiot to try to come up with one. My reasons for coming are not all practical yet not all on a whim either.

But I think it takes a little madness to travel abroad. To throw yourself into the chaos of culture with a sense of recklessness.

It's probably the greatest risk you can take.