Eastward Bound (Rylee)

As I embark on this journey I am filled with eagerness to return to Tokyo. I have been compiling a list of every place no matter how insignificant or touristy that peaks my interest that I see while watching NHK World, YouTube, reading other blogs and hearing anecdotes from fellow students. Tokyo in its vastness is like a concrete jungle of sorts by constantly changing and containing a microcosm every step you take, so there is always much I feel that I miss from my previous visits and others I want to see again.

Taking it easy.

However, it may be a double-edged sword to have so much outside of your doorstep that it makes one worry to a slight degree about being overwhelmed. The ability to get away from the hustle and bustle has been easily afforded to me by living in a rural farm town, and to be within a short driving distance from it even while attending college in an already modestly small city makes avoiding distractions easy. I have certainly spent a fair amount of time in Tokyo totaling more than three weeks, but the laid-back nature of Beloit will be something I will miss. Maybe Tokyo will eventually dull down my senses enough to spare its distractions allowing me to keep studying those pesky kanji characters every night. Staying in Tokyo for a year will create some mental hurdles by having to manage Tokyo’s captivating nature, yet the city will create countless memories with the friends I will meet and already have met by chatting with my assigned Rikkyo buddy group.