Young, wild and traveling

A lavish 7-day vacation in beautiful Japan, what more could three friends ask for? Our strict itinerary called for staying in extravagant hotels towering high above the city clouds, greeted and bowed to by hotel staff in three-piece suits, followed by drinks at the rooftop lounge bar with a piano playing off in the distance and taxis wherever we needed to go together with official tours with private companies. Unfortunately for me, my passport was stolen the second day in Japan and that all changed.
Because of the uncertainty of my situation, I was restricted in my budget and I was forced to wave a teary goodbye to my friends as they boarded their flight back home after seven dreary days. I then headed to the Asakusa district of Tokyo to check into the cheap and shanty 2-story hostel away from the luxurious 60-story hotels. As I rode the underground train, I thought to myself: Who could take such a precious item? And how could my experiences of this country turn so negative so quickly after only 48 hours? I hated the place and wanted to get out immediately. Luckily, what I thought would be a negative experience in a foreign country, turned into a local encounter that changed my perspective.
Not only did the nostalgic hostel have free Wi-Fi and breakfast but also offered free walking tours with Aya and transportation to various sites around Tokyo; none of this, which the fancy hotels offered at five times the price. I was able to walk the busy markets of Sensoji Temple, take in the smells of the burning incense and silent footsteps within the temple grounds followed by enjoying delicious Soba noodles.
Walking the lit filled streets of Roppongi and watching the thousands of feet scurry across the infamous Shibuya crosswalk in Tokyo, was all new to my American senses. And what turned into a one-week holiday in the Land of the Rising Sun, stretched out to 3 weeks while I waited for a new passport to be expedited to me from the United States. Not only did I receive better care, attention and amenities at the hostel as compared to the hotel, but I also had the opportunity to dig deep, get off the beaten path and see Japan for what it truly had to offer. As the Japanese say, “Shoganai” (“There is no way of doing, it can’t be helped”). What started as a terrifying experience circled into the country and its citizens embracing me with open arms and changing my perspective on the people and culture. And I can’t wait to go back.