MY FIRST SOLO TRIP: JAPAN

Japanese Garden within the Imperial Palace

Hi! It's been a long time since the last time I posted something here. I would like to make this blog post a prologue because I think there will be several posts related to this Japan trip.

So much to say about this Japan trip. I am also writing an e-book about it. Hopefully it will come out soon. At first, I just wanted to make a post here about it, but then I realized I wanted to spill everything I know. It would feel like Dumbledore pouring his memories into the Pensieve. There are just too many things I want to share, from the planning and preparation to the actual experience of traveling alone in a country I'd never visited before.

Anyway, back to the topic. I am not a traveler at heart. I don't think I've ever done a solo trip before, by which I mean traveling to a place and staying there for a few days. And I don't think I'm brave enough to do that alone, even for a domestic trip. Traveling with friends or family is one thing, but traveling completely alone? That's a whole different story.

And why did I decide to take a solo trip to Japan? You could say it was spontaneous, but I kind of doubt it because spontaneity has never really been in my dictionary.

I've been dreaming about it since forever. Well, not exactly. I studied Japanese in high school, and my seatmate introduced me to anime. I guess that was the turning point when I started to develop an interest in Japan. Our Japanese teacher once took us to the Japanese Embassy in the city and introduced us to scholarship opportunities. I remember how exciting it was to learn that there were opportunities to study in Japan, although I never actually pursued one.

So, for a long time, I've wanted to go to Japan. It was always one of those things I hoped I could do someday, but I never really knew when that someday would come. By God's will, I finally made it happen this year. To be exact, I went to Japan alone from October 2 to 12, 2026.

Why alone? Because no one could go with me. I asked my good and close friends, but they weren't ready for the trip. Traveling overseas requires preparation, time, and, of course, money. I hope we can have a trip together one day.

View of Mount Fuji from the Parking Lot Near the Famous Lawson in Kawaguchi-ko

At first, I wasn't actually really up for the idea of a solo trip. My friend gave me the idea, and I strongly refused it because I didn't think I was brave enough. There were just too many things to worry about. What if I got lost? What if I couldn't understand the language? What if something happened and I had no one to rely on? The thought of having to figure everything out by myself was already overwhelming.

I then changed my mind after doing some research about itineraries, how to navigate Japan, and getting a little boost from social media, where I saw women traveling alone to Japan, and they all said it was so exciting and safe. Of course, I knew that everyone's experience could be different, but reading and watching their stories made the idea seem less intimidating. I started to think that perhaps I could actually do it too.

All I did then was just push my luck.

With the prayers and blessings of my parents, especially my mother, I went on my first solo trip ever, and it was overseas. I spent so much time preparing everything, from the itinerary and transportation to accommodation and other little details. I prepared those things since late January.

But no matter how much I prepared, I couldn't completely get rid of my anxiety.

Three days before my flight, my gastritis flared up due to anxiety. The night before the flight, I couldn't sleep at all, literally at all. My mind was racing, it's running everywhere. It's so packed with voices, all of them talking. My gastritis reached its peak, and I threw up in the bathroom. Magically, after that, I felt completely healthy. It was gone. I didn't feel sick at all. Kind of funny to think back that again.

Funny how I spent so much time worrying about things that hadn't even happened yet.

All the things I had been overthinking didn't happen. None of the things I was so anxious about came true. My trip went as smoothly as a baby's skin.

Well, not 100%. There were some little difficulties and bits of bad luck, but none of them were serious enough to ruin the trip. I still had to figure things out on my own, made some mistakes here and there, and learned a few things along the way. But at the end of the day, I was safe and sound.

I remember telling my dear friend, H, "I couldn't imagine doing everything alone. Can I really do that?" And H reassured me, "You'll learn how, won't you?" I replied, "I guess so. Eventually, I will. There's always a first time for everything."

And I think that was what mattered the most to me.

Only when I finally breathed in the familiar air of my room back at the boarding house could I finally say thank God with relief. I was finally home. After eleven days of traveling from one place to another, navigating unfamiliar stations, walking countless steps, and taking care of everything by myself, I could finally rest without having to think about where I needed to go next.

I made it home safe and sound, without anything missing. Thank you, God.

Looking back, I'm glad I didn't let my fear stop me from going. The night before my flight, I even considered canceling the trip and just letting go of the money I'd spent on my plane ticket. I still don't think I'm a traveler at heart, and I don't suddenly consider myself a brave person just because I managed to travel alone. But at least now I know that I can do something I once thought I wasn't capable of doing.

Would I do another solo trip? I don't know. Maybe. There are still so many places I want to visit, and I would love to experience some of them with people I care about. But I'm glad that my first solo trip happened in Japan, a country I'd wanted to visit for so long.

And I guess that's all for this prologue. I have so many stories, experiences, and little things to share about this trip, and I'll save them for the next posts. See you!