Earlier this year, my boyfriend told me that one of his Facebook friends scored tickets to a music concert exclusive to Japan. They invited him to come along, and he couldn’t say No to see one of his favorite artists of all time. Naturally, he suggested that I tour Tokyo with him. I hesitated at the idea originally, because I was unsure about the status of my employment. At that time, I was already half way out the door and looking for new opportunities. I didn’t know if I’d be able to afford it, but he assured me that we would both contribute to enjoy this trip together. After much deliberation, I bit the bullet and we spent the following months planning an itinerary.
This trip to Japan marks the first time that we would travel together internationally. Previously, I’d daydream about what it might be like to accompany him, because I know he had travelled around Asia before. I didn’t know this kind of opportunity would present itself so suddenly in our dating relationship. He told me that he tends to make impulsive decisions whenever preparing for travel, so I trusted his judgment and came along for the ride. I think what gave me some anxiety was having language barriers and navigating public transit in another country. Thankfully, Google Translate helped us communicate with everyone and to my surprise, the trains in Tokyo are easier for me to understand than the subways of New York.
Coincidentally, the last time that either of us travelled to Japan was in 2017; we visited separately at different times of the year. Much has changed for us since then and I’m happy having bonded more through these experiences. There’s something genuine about traveling with someone you love, because you end up sharing lots of time and space with that person. Adjusting to the way in which time moves differently: whether it’s something energetic and fast-paced, like transferring trains during rush hour, or something that gets you to slow down, like deciding what kind of breakfast you want to enjoy. Some of the most honest parts of yourself show up when you have to navigate those everyday tasks.
Taking photos to capture memories is nice, but what I’m referring to goes beyond saying, “I was here.” I think what made this journey so special was introducing friends and family to my beloved and being welcomed by his friends all the same. I am grateful whenever I can spend quality time among friends, but accompanying him made the adventure so exciting. I enjoyed seeing our friends react whenever my boyfriend talked about his art and experiences, because they grow enamored with someone whose love I get to experience everyday. I realized within these moments, I think more along the lines of: This is the Love of My Life. We’re in this together and I hope you can see why.
This is our first international trip together and surely not the last … Until next time. じゃあね
Key Topic Tour Together : Picture Tokyo Together
This trip to Japan marks the first time that we would travel together internationally. Previously, I’d daydream about what it might be like to accompany him, because I know he had travelled around Asia before. I didn’t know this kind of opportunity would present itself so suddenly in our dating relationship. He told me that he tends to make impulsive decisions whenever preparing for travel, so I trusted his judgment and came along for the ride. I think what gave me some anxiety was having language barriers and navigating public transit in another country. Thankfully, Google Translate helped us communicate with everyone and to my surprise, the trains in Tokyo are easier for me to understand than the subways of New York.
Coincidentally, the last time that either of us travelled to Japan was in 2017; we visited separately at different times of the year. Much has changed for us since then and I’m happy having bonded more through these experiences. There’s something genuine about traveling with someone you love, because you end up sharing lots of time and space with that person. Adjusting to the way in which time moves differently: whether it’s something energetic and fast-paced, like transferring trains during rush hour, or something that gets you to slow down, like deciding what kind of breakfast you want to enjoy. Some of the most honest parts of yourself show up when you have to navigate those everyday tasks.
Taking photos to capture memories is nice, but what I’m referring to goes beyond saying, “I was here.” I think what made this journey so special was introducing friends and family to my beloved and being welcomed by his friends all the same. I am grateful whenever I can spend quality time among friends, but accompanying him made the adventure so exciting. I enjoyed seeing our friends react whenever my boyfriend talked about his art and experiences, because they grow enamored with someone whose love I get to experience everyday. I realized within these moments, I think more along the lines of: This is the Love of My Life. We’re in this together and I hope you can see why.
This is our first international trip together and surely not the last … Until next time. じゃあね
Key Topic Tour Together : Picture Tokyo Together
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