Hakone, June 2024
It's raining and my mind wanders…
It's raining cats and dogs - It's raining very heavily
Rain on someone's parade - To spoil someone's plans or happiness
When it rains, it pours - Bad things tend to happen all at once
Take a rain check - Claim another chance to do something at a later time
Save it for a rainy day - Save something for a future time of need
And my personal favourite: ¡Está cayendo la del pulpo! - The one of the octopus is falling! 🐙
Isn't it interesting how many idioms use rain as a metaphor to express things like spoiled plans, multiple problems occurring simultaneously, and perseverance regardless of circumstances?
Well, I’ve been saving this one for a rainy day.
You see, I may be stuck indoors right now, but I've been on the road since the beginning of the year. Days like today are a good excuse to stay inside, reflect and retreat from the search for external stimuli.
In this installment, we will explore the futility of always sticking to a plan, the value of scarcity and the usefulness of delayed gratification. An esoteric twist on what may seem mundane.
Let’s dive in…
TL;DR: Travel has taught me to welcome the occasional rainy day. Unexpected opportunities arise that may just pleasantly surprise. Besides, if it were perfect all the time, we wouldn't appreciate it anyway.
Chasing summer between the hemispheres has dispelled the common traveler's greatest fear. ☔️
Chasing Summer
This year has felt like ever-expanding. Or maybe that's just my mind? (hah, good one!) If anything, I’d like to think it’s my horizon...
For those of you wondering what I'm up to, I'm currently on a pseudo-sabbatical, traveling around the Asia-Pacific region with my better half (#TMT). As one does, I've been living out of a backpack for the last 4 months and my natural modus vivendi has boiled down to: "Let's explore wherever the last bus, train or plane dropped us off, secure a dose of (specialty) caffeine, enjoy some food and a cheeky afternoon snack to save on expensive dinners".
So far, this adventure has allowed me to see the land, talk to the people, eat the food, learn the history and draw my own conclusions. Best of all was hearing things straight from the horse's mouth rather than through someone else's filter.
From petting large marsupials to drinking from a coconut, eating dubious street food, feeling paranoid in a certain authoritarian surveillance state (which shan’t be named), and even spending the odd coin (with an unusually favorable exchange rate) on a Gashapon machine to finally complete that elusive, worryingly obese, yet cute Shiba Inu figurine collection.
It's been a blast. An invaluable experience, and something tells me I won't fully appreciate it until it's over.
Over the past 6 months, I have learned that there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. For one, enjoying full flexibility, is not without its challenges. And it's easy to get caught up in the next thing mentality when your itinerary becomes a list of boxes to check. i.e., "I've come this far, now I have to do this, that, and the other.” After all, most of us are hardwired not to waste time.
However, I've come to realize that there are many ways to spend time wisely. In fact, there is nothing wrong with slowing down and taking some guilt-free time to reflect. Rain is the perfect travel companion in this sense, as it dilutes (pun intended) the fear of missing out. A welcome respite from the relentless pursuit, brought on by the heavens.
Endless Possibilities
To further illustrate this, imagine you're at life's all-you-can-eat buffet, salivating over the endless options. But here's the kicker – you can't pile everything onto your plate. Shocking, right? Yet, this culinary limitation is actually the secret sauce of existence.
If we could gorge ourselves on every experience, achievement, and possession, we'd end up with the world's worst case of flavor fatigue. Our taste buds for life's pleasures would be as dead as last week's leftovers. It's like that old saying – you can't always get what you want, but ironically, that's precisely what keeps us hungry for more.
So, next time you're eyeing that seemingly greener grass on the other side, remember: it's not about having it all; it's about savoring what you've got while maintaining that delicious anticipation for what's just out of reach.
My father used to say: "When you choose one thing, you give up all others." 🙅♂️ (hola papus)
You can't have everything in this life – and that's a good thing. If you did, it would mean very little and you would become desensitized to its virtues and comforts.
Like gold (or bitcoin *cough, cough*), it's not abundance but scarcity that drives value. This suggests that it’s valuable to have some constraints on seemingly limitless opportunity.
Put it this way: Smooth sailing is not guaranteed when you set out to sea. You can't have it all. It's about making the most of what you've been given.
Surely that equates to satisfaction, right?
Story Time
Snuggle up and join me for a little story time:
After a few weeks in Tokyo, we were headed to Hakone, a mountain town known for its hot springs resorts (onsen) and views of the iconic Mt. Fuji.
Determined to make the most of it, we planned ahead and bought a 2-day free pass. With it, we'd be able to use every form of local transportation under the sun (bus, train, cable car, pirate ship, you name it), enjoy tickets to all the sights, discounts at restaurants, cheaper rates at hot springs, etc... you get the idea. So what happened?
You guessed it… it rained. Like crazy for 24h straight. Non-stop. What followed was a concatenation of bad events.
Despite the prospect of aqua-planning rather than hiking, we took to the streets. After all, we're not the type to give up without a fight, especially since our coveted 2-day pass was bound to expire. We hoped that the downpour would subside. Sure enough, it did not.
Nothing like Mother Nature to humble you. After hours of battling the elements, the final nail in the coffin came when a fallen tree cut off our path to the bathhouse where we had hoped to seek shelter. It became clear that today just wasn’t going to be the day. Accepting defeat, we headed back to our guesthouse, heads bowed and birko-flor sandals soaked.
Eventually, the anger and frustration subsided and we realized. “To hell with it, let's just stay another day!” Fueled by a newfound sense of optimism, we scored a last-minute ryokan deal that normally would've been out of our budget. As it turned out, trees weren't the only things falling that day.
And boy, did the weather gods deliver the next day! Between the cable car, volcanic peaks, sulfur chimneys, a clear view of Mt. Fuji in the distance and a complimentary private onsen at the ryokan, we had the best day in recent memory. Best of all, it was completely unexpected.
Moral of the story:
Life doesn't always go as planned. Some of your plans will inevitably go awry. When it rains, it pours – as you know. But an unexpected twist can also bring amazing opportunities your way! For us, the heavy rain unlocked some incredible serendipity.
Conclusion
When every day is a cornucopia of ever-expanding possibilities, how to know where to begin? Philosophical mumbo-jumbo aside, sometimes it’s just nice to have that decision taken out of your hands. By who? You guessed it, rain.
Rain and the vagabond life seem like a bad combination. To weather the storm, it's best not to be married to a plan. You may have to spend some time figuring out what comes next, but trust me, it'll be worth the wait.
Parting thoughts
#1 If there were no rain, there’d be no parade.
#2 Taking a rain check pays off.
#3 I'm still waiting for the falling cats, dogs and/or octopi (?), though. 🐙
Rain has given me a new appreciation for what I had easily taken for granted. It makes those moments when it's not raining on your parade, well, a parade.
Papus was here ! Go 'n' get them son.
Great reflections, that would make your father happy ;)