Thanks For Your Influence In Tokyo

Vitality Stories

Really?

In October I went to Tokyo for the first time. When I told people I was going, the responses ranged from wide eyes to frowns, all followed by, “Really?”

Japan is somewhere Ted and I have always intended to go, but we have many places on our list. After a summer on the road and then having ‘settled down’ in Seattle for a whole two months, we needed a new adventure. So when talks of a trip fell into place and all signs pointed to Tokyo, we booked our tickets and buckled up for the 9.5 hours flight and the 16-hour time difference, travelling west from Vancouver over the Pacific Ocean. I could see Russia from the plane!

Sarah Palin It IS exciting to see Russia. Whomever I owe credit for this pic, thanks.

We left at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 8^th and landed at Narita International Airport at 5:30 p.m. on October 9^th.

Several times on the flight I mentally pinched myself, and while riding the Airport Limousine Bus (it was actually a normal bus, albeit bright orange) to the hotel, I had an exceptional moment. Staring out the window, passing new territory, I was overwhelmed with gratitude and happiness for the state of my life and for my boyfriend, Ted. I couldn’t believe this little girl—ME—had grown up in the Safari Trailer Park on Tiger Drive and now she—I—was in Japan. I thought, if I could travel through time and tell my younger self, “When you grow up, you will go to Tokyo just because you can,” I would have probably said, Really? just like everyone else but for the simple reason that at the time my larger than life dreams were about a life away from Tiger Drive and hopefully, going to Australia someday (but that’s another story).

Over the next ten days, this exceptional moment would grow into a life-changing event.

Me visiting Tiger Drive after 30 yrs. Photo by Gretchen LeMay Photography

You & Jack

I’ve been back for almost two weeks and the experience is still steeping. I’ve never felt more influenced by another culture. The perspective I want to bring into each of my actions and days has changed, and it wasn’t too shabby to begin with.

I’ve spent a lot of time considering how to share the trip with you. Everyday in Tokyo, I found myself thinking about YOU—the Vitality Stories subscribers—and taking more pictures for you, trying to capture my gratitude. It’s only been one year since I started Vitality Stories—my first anniversary was October 9^th, the same day I landed on the foreign tarmac—and each of you has become an integral part of this journey.

I also thought a lot about Jack Beers whom I wrote about last week. Whenever I felt self-conscious or intimidated about speaking Japanese, or taking my chances on something as simple as getting lost on using the subway, I asked myself, WWJD? (What Would Jack Do?) And the answer was, always, he’d commit and make the most of each experience. So I did.

And now that I’m home in Seattle, I want to fully commit—Jack Beers’s style—to what’s in front of me right now—and that’s saying thank YOU for being a subscriber. Thank YOU for your influence in Tokyo and over this past year.

Over the upcoming weeks, I’ll be writing about my first impressions of Tokyo and what I learned about myself. I’ll also be sharing a wonderful discussion and Vitality Stories interview with Director, David Wachs, Holes In My Shoes.

But for now, I’ll leave you with Happy November. It is the month for giving thanks and I can’t think of a better way to kick it off than to thank each of you for your precious time.

Teri

Arigato
~
THANK YOU

Coming Up