What really kicked off this holiday was Dylan’s FOMO at all our other friends with holiday plans over Easter. Mentally I wasn’t ready. I didn’t want to set aside copious time booking flights, hotels, and essentially planning an entire trip (which I was certain I will be responsible for once I commit to the idea of going on a big overseas trip) — but I’ve got people-pleaser in my DNA.

When Dylan said, “I want to go to Japan,” every fibre of my being was being tricked to deliver.

Easter was about two months away. I was pissed at him for half a day for not giving me more time to prepare. Why only now? Why not tell me LAST YEAR? Unlike him, I need to apply for a tourist visa. Do we even have time to get good hotels? I would need to wrap my head around train lines and passes and transport in general and other tickets we need to book ahead of time…

But like any high-performing individual that functions well under pressure, he asked and I delivered.

It isn’t to say that I didn’t look at other options. Japan, in spring, during Easter holidays, was 100% going to be expensive. But plane tickets for non-budget airlines were all going to be twice the price and if I’m going to pay peak-season prices, it might as well be to a destination that I was dying to visit.

Life is too short to penny-pinch and be a scrooge when money can buy me happiness. When you’ve got a job, annual leave is precious commodity. Was it worth more than the thousands of dollars to be spent on flights and hotels during peak season? Well, yes, absolutely. Because when else can I go fifteen days off using only eight days of annual leave?

At this point, I started to understand couples with kids who have no choice but to join the rest of the other families with kids — everyone travelling during school holidays. Sometimes, you just have very limited options.

Plus — Easter is right before our first wedding anniversary. And we never went on a honeymoon, so technically the next big trip was also going to be our honeymoon. This is what I told myself to justify splurging.

I’m so glad we did because I was so satisfied with how the rest of the trip went.

I enjoyed every second of it. I’m actually am very proud of myself of everything I’ve booked and planned (somewhat accidentally). Some of which I booked only because Dylan wanted them–I was so sceptical, but I ended up enjoying so much. It really goes to show what a fantastic idea it was to marry someone that is my complete opposite.

(It was Universal Studios Japan. I’m not so keen on amusement parks but I thank my lucky stars that Dylan wanted to go, it was unforgettable; I had a ton of fun in Nintendo World, enjoyed it more than I expected, and I am so glad he wanted to go!)

I purposely broke up our trip so that we’re jumping from city to a smaller city or countryside, then back to a bigger city, another stop to the countryside, then back to the city again. It allowed us to take it slow and rest on some days such that I didn’t feel exhausted at all when we came home.

We flew into Tokyo, then by train went to Nagano, Nagoya, Kyoto, and finally Osaka. In so many ways Melbourne feels like the countryside compared to the cities in Japan. Case in point: we still don’t have a Myki train card on Apple Wallet vs the Suica I could top up on my phone. I wish Australia had the high speed rail that Japan has because it made local travel so convenient. And I get it; we just don’t have enough people here in Melbourne. But I love trains and public transport and Japan made me feel like a little kid, enjoying experiences I can’t have back home.

Although we had to book some things months in advance, I got to enjoy the charm of exploring and deciding where to go and what to eat in short notice. We’d take the train to a city or town and would just start to walk around first before deciding on a temple or garden or cafe to visit. I soaked up the moments where Dylan got to decide an activity he’d like to do. I would’ve kept bringing us to even more museums and temples or castles which just aren’t his thing — plus I get to surprise myself by enjoying the places that he wanted to visit.

Maybe I’ve fully acclimated to the lack of density in Melbourne that I much preferred Nagano and Nagoya and small cities like Kamakura and Kobe or even Obuse and Shirakawa-go at the countryside over the major ones like Tokyo and Kyoto. In smaller towns, there’s just enough shops for retail therapy and cafes for tea and even restaurants for a humble but good meal, while cultural spots like gardens, temples, or castles aren’t packed with self-absorbed tourists. The lack of crowds made it possible for me to take everything in, breathe, and appreciate the beauty of a place so different from my day-to-day.

I love beautiful landscapes. The views of the mountains came alive with the white and pink flowers of the sakura trees. What I’d consider ordinary in a city or town suddenly pops with the lovely pink shades of colour and it would be impossible to keep any thoughts that dragged my mood down back home.

I loved the ordinary, the mundane, the charm of the countryside. I loved that we didn’t have to make any reservations to have good food: raw fish aren’t as affordable or fresh in Australia, or the unagi or tonkatsu that were served differently than their Melbourne equivalents. I loved the friendliness of the restaurants that accommodated us in spite of the language barrier. The humble meals: nothing exclusive, maybe not even amazing but they were all good, and it was impossible to find anything terrible. Just how easy it was to find good food, always receiving the dopamine hits, no regrets over money wasted, just enjoying one meal after another.

Before this trip I was getting a little depressed: the USA tanking my retirement fund, the chaos and deaths in parts of the world, crying occasionally from being affected by the general comments of friends about our home. It wasn’t even work that’s been pulling me down this year (what a bright side!). An overseas holiday with just myself and Dylan was just what I needed to pull myself out of my depresso bubble. I came home feeling refreshed mentally and only mildly tired physically.

Coming home from this holiday was not the same as the local trips we’ve done regionally or interstate, and I think I’ve just forgotten the feeling. It’s been so long since we travelled without any agenda — no responsibilities, no need to meet family, no wedding dresses or faux flowers to source — and I’m so pleasantly reminded of just how therapeutic a proper holiday is.

I think that’s what I love about Japan. Culturally refreshing: from the food, to the arts, countryside towns, to the orderliness despite the crowds, the hospitality and mostly friendly interactions with the locals. Even just the fact that I don’t have to stress out from worrying about safety or my luggage getting lost (Osaka airport just celebrated their 30-year anniversary of zero lost luggage) — Japan is simply a reliable holiday destination to rejuvenate my soul and my stomach. It’s different from my day-to-day in Melbourne and different is exactly what I needed to forget the negative bits and pump positive vibes into my life.

Honestly, I don’t know when I’d be able to plan another overseas trip. Although this was my third visit to Japan, there hasn’t been any other country that I’d choose for a holiday without batting an eyelid. I’ve visited more cities now than my last trip in 2016 but there’s still more that I want to see. I just need another two weeks.

For now, I’m back home, my soul refreshed and misery a very yesterday feeling, and now feeling very motivated to keep earning for my next overseas holiday. Whenever that may be.