Taking the Big Break

Leaving for the airport

I realized the other day that we are almost at the one month mark of our travels.  In some respects, packing up and leaving Portland feels so distant but at the same time, the trip feels like it is flying by.   The last month in Japan has been so delightful and so effortless.   The country is beautiful, the people friendly, and being able to speak the language makes it comfortable and easy.  

Homeschooling started out tough but has gotten a little easier.  Truth is that it is hard to make time for blog writing, math, reading practice, etc.  when there is just so much else to be done.  While we have all enjoyed occasional down times in our apartment or hotel, we love getting out exploring, trying new foods, and meeting people.  

Putting in a prayer at a Shinto Shrine

We have ridden trains and subways throughout Tokyo, explored the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, and hiked mountain trails through bamboo forests.  We have soaked in numerous hot spring baths, explored Japanese Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, and made pounded dango rice treats with friends during a typhoon.  

Trying their hand at the martial art of kendo

All of these things have enriched our brain and our souls; yet, it is hard to measure it as a homeschooling experience.    That said, we also haven’t worried too much about it yet.   Elio (age 6) practices his reading on long train rides and tries simple math equations in restaurants while waiting for meals to come.  Lorenzo (age 10) reads incessantly and has settled in to his weekly blog writing assignments for his writing coach.    So for now, we aren’t too worried about any specific homeschooling.   We are thinking of it more as “worldschooling”.  The kids are getting and learning plenty every day. 

I have had several questions asked of me about packing and what, if anything, we are missing.  So far, we still feel like we have packed the right items and haven’t missed any items from home.   If anything, we could have packed less as we have had easy access to laundry during most of our trip in Japan so far.   (Another help was the fact that we were able to leave our masks and snorkels that we won’t need here in Japan with a friend in Tokyo to pick up before we fly out to Thailand next week so that help lighten our packs and our loads.)   Nathan did a great job of researching electronic accessories before we left, and we have been glad to have items such as a small power strip to charge several items at once and a ipod splitter so the boys can listen to stories together on longer train rides. 

The boys are slowly learning to keep their clothes organized, which stuff sack is for which clothes, and how to keep it all packed in their backpacks.  We haven’t need to walk too far with the packs overall so that part has been relatively easy.   When we have, the boys have been troopers.

On the road again

In Japan, we have been fortunate to have stayed with friends or gotten inexpensive apartments.   This is nice as it gives us parents a place to hang out after the kids are in bed to have a drink and decompress from the day.   I have enjoyed waking up to coffee brewing in the kitchen (Yep, I have an awesome hubby!) and the boys like eating breakfast in their pjs in the morning and having a place to spread out their legos.

For most of the next several months throughout SE Asia, we will mainly be in hotels about which I am now a little apprehensive.  That said, staying in inns and hotels will give us access to swimming pools and a chance to meet other travelers which will be fun too.  Living alongside innkeepers and other travelers also makes us feel like we are more a part of the culture, and inn owners tend to be great sources of information for secret restaurant gems and interesting places to explore.  There are certainly pluses and minuses to all accommodations, and we will certainly be finding out what is comfortable for us. 

Other huge benefits to Japan are the drinkable water and the safety.   We haven’t needed to worry about buying or purifying water or brushing our teeth with bottled water.   That will soon change as we enter SE Asia.  From past trips, I remember that concern over drinking water gets tiring.  Many years ago after backpacking in SE Asia for a couple months, I remember the thrill of drinking tap water again when I returned home.   This time, we have a steripen so it will be nice to be able to purify our own as needed.   That will alleviate some concern and a bit of expense.

I also believe Japanese people as a whole are the most honest people in the world.  In a country where a wallet forgotten on a train will still be in the same spot on the last train of the day, we have seen many trains with honor system wickets which are not abused.  Money lying out in the open at nearly every shrine and temple in the country remains untouched.   Even Japanese travelers seem unconcerned.  At the traditional Japanese style inns we stayed in, there were no locks on our room doors.   Crime here is rare.  This certainly makes travel here very comfortable for us as even crowded trains and buses leave nothing to worry about.  

Overall, our experience has been great.  We are all in good spirits, the challenges are minimal, and the travel continues to remain fun for all of us.   We have very much enjoyed our adventures so far and are all looking forward to many more.