I think its fair to say for many of us, 2017 couldn’t have ended soon enough. Myself, and many people around me have lost close personal friends, some due to the opioid epidemic, some due to the mental health crisis. The political atmosphere has deteriorated to its most divisive point in my lifetime, and 2017’s arrival and passing saw the rise and fall of two distinct chapters in my life, both personal and professional.
To be perfectly honest, this past year has been the hardest of my entire life. Things which felt like amazing opportunities at first soon transformed into tumultuous pits, sapping my energy and twisting myself into the most jaded version of ‘me’ that I’ve ever encountered.
In other words, I haven’t felt like myself.
These realizations, and the past several weeks have left me wondering where to pivot, where to turn from here. Panning for inspiration, I opted to look into my past. As some of you may know, the most fulfilled I’ve ever been was when I left everything behind, and traveled alone for one year.
Present circumstances, and academic obligations won’t allow for such an extended trip this time, but next Wednesday I will fly direct to Tokyo, where I will be spending the following 35 days traveling with a few friends, and seeing as much of the country as possible. During my time there, I will be snowboarding, temple-walking and shooting a short film about my experiences.
I’ll likely do most of the editing once I get back, so until then I would encourage you to follow me on this website, where I will be posting pictures, updates and details regarding my encounters on this trip. Subscribe if you desire, and feel free to show your friends.
If anyone has any contacts I should visit, or any places I must see, please don’t hesitate to comment on here, or shoot me a message.
I hope everyone’s 2018 is everything it can be. I personally resolve to live a life true to myself, and to pursue my goals with relentless commitment. Thank-you to everyone who kept my head above water, even if you didn’t know you were doing it.
Please continue to take care of each other, and make sure to tell people that you love them every time it crosses your mind.
East Van to Elsewhere 
Hope you have a great time, Ian. As one of the other visitors to your house, I am impressed by the creative link to exploring a new place. It is always good to know someone where you are going. I like your writing and look forward to hearing about your exploration.
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Thanks Margaret! Glad to hear you’re enjoying it. I’ve been Japan-side for about 30 hours now, gonna try to work on an update tonight so stay tuned!
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