It is fair to say that Japan is pretty far from our UK home. Therefore, we don’t expect many friends from home to visit, so when they do it is particularly special.
James and Jade came along to holiday with us in August 2017 and next up comes the wonderful Sally in October 2018. Hanging out with Sally, for one night only, was fabulous. Her holiday vibes influence convinced me (ok ok, I didn’t actually need any convincing…) to get drunk on a school night and then jog home at midnight, Cinderella style.
We tried to be good and go to a nice vegan eatery and enjoy supper. But on arrival it was closed. Classic Japan. So, we decided to skip wholesome food and head straight to the ale. I am sure that someone once told me a pint of ale offers the same nutritional value as a roast meal…right? So we opted for roast meals instead.
At 11.45 we had to part ways as Sally had to catch the last train back to her hostel and I, inexplicably, decided to jog home. My logic was sound – it is quicker to run than it is to walk. I arrived home a sweaty blabbering mess, waking Dan up in true ‘drunk on a school night style’ through my inability to get the key in the lock…excellent. It was a wonder to catch up again after several years of communication from afar, and, as expected, it was exactly like old times.
A few days after Sally, I was lucky enough to to catch up with a very old friend I hadn’t spoken to in years, Elaine. This time it was a sensible day-time meet, so no jogging home at midnight there. We managed to get in a tasty vegan meal and enjoy the sights and coffee shops of Koenji. I loved hearing about Elaine’s 18 months of adventure around the world and listened with envy about her next stop; Napal. The years fell away as we shared our experiences and enjoyed each other’s company again!
Both friends in Tokyo happened to fall within the same week. What are the chances?! It meant this was a week or reflecting and enjoying the company of likeminded people. Both Sally and Elaine reignited my fire for adventure – reminding me of the home page of this blog: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” (Mary Oliver). So, let’s get planning for that next wild and precious adventure.