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Nara
9 years ago
The room is cold but the floor beneath you is textured and comfortable. In the living room adjacent to you the world is waking up, words are being spoken in a language that sounds like music to foreign ears. Beautiful syllables and intonations we can't mimic without a certain level of blushing and apologies. Your back hurts from carrying the rucksack you hastily packed in Tokyo prior to boarding the train at midnight; its a deep throbbing pain but not altogether unpleasant.
The past few days have been a whirlwind of motion so this moment of reflection is a welcome reprieve. The room is dim but not so dark as to be disorienting, the rice paper door does little to shield you from the eager morning daylight. You push yourself into a seated position and begin rummaging through your possessions for clothing and toiletries. The shower only gives cold water and pushes your senses into focus almost quickly enough to make you nauseous. You decide to risk the scorn of your professor for the sake of the comfort being unshaven grants in the morning. The cheap razor you packed away always seems to leave more irritation on your tired face than anything else. The clothes you brought fit snugly as you hoped they would and you begin to feel warmer as you shrug into an old leather coat. The old sneakers you struggle to slide your feet into are stiff from the cold but oblige eventually as you step out onto cobblestones.
The world is rubbing its eyes outside and settling upon a soft smile as the sun rises. The chill of winter in Nara is nothing to scoff at but you're happy to see a playful shine between grey clouds as cars and bikes ride around us. There is a sense of enormous potential for discovery in this quiet place. All the things that pulled so eagerly at your heart while stateside seem forgotten as you look to the hills and temples. Soft dirt pathways guide you to aging shrines and gardens that surprise you with bright blasts of color and intricate lattices in perfect harmony with the natural waterways and landscape. There are so many smiles in this place that its hard to not find yourself smiling too. You light incense and ring the bells softly as you pray at each shrine, wishing with an open heart for the happiness of the people you care the most about.
and you try your best to let the past be the past. Even if its only for a few more days while the sun is shining here.
The past few days have been a whirlwind of motion so this moment of reflection is a welcome reprieve. The room is dim but not so dark as to be disorienting, the rice paper door does little to shield you from the eager morning daylight. You push yourself into a seated position and begin rummaging through your possessions for clothing and toiletries. The shower only gives cold water and pushes your senses into focus almost quickly enough to make you nauseous. You decide to risk the scorn of your professor for the sake of the comfort being unshaven grants in the morning. The cheap razor you packed away always seems to leave more irritation on your tired face than anything else. The clothes you brought fit snugly as you hoped they would and you begin to feel warmer as you shrug into an old leather coat. The old sneakers you struggle to slide your feet into are stiff from the cold but oblige eventually as you step out onto cobblestones.
The world is rubbing its eyes outside and settling upon a soft smile as the sun rises. The chill of winter in Nara is nothing to scoff at but you're happy to see a playful shine between grey clouds as cars and bikes ride around us. There is a sense of enormous potential for discovery in this quiet place. All the things that pulled so eagerly at your heart while stateside seem forgotten as you look to the hills and temples. Soft dirt pathways guide you to aging shrines and gardens that surprise you with bright blasts of color and intricate lattices in perfect harmony with the natural waterways and landscape. There are so many smiles in this place that its hard to not find yourself smiling too. You light incense and ring the bells softly as you pray at each shrine, wishing with an open heart for the happiness of the people you care the most about.
and you try your best to let the past be the past. Even if its only for a few more days while the sun is shining here.
