I spent my morning sitting in a cozy coffee shop inside of an older lodge tucked behind the newer hotels. The exterior pink the interior, modern with big windows that looked upon the resort and allowed for the morning light to filter in. I greeted the day with a lovely shot of espresso from my kind Japanese roommate Toshi-san. The room filled with the aromatic smell of fresh coffee. As I sipped my espresso and turned the pages of the book I was reading called Walden on Wheels I knew I was right where I am supposed to be. The kindness of the locals here is beyond what I have ever experienced anywhere else. The travelers who come here can be quite disrespectful in the sense that they litter and don't treat this place like home. Well maybe they do treat their home country as such but that's besides the point. The Japanese are so patient and willing to go out of their way to help you when they can. Our host Toshi is a delight. He offers rides, makes coffee and helps find answers when we don't know certain things. I appreciate his kindness. It's interesting to be on the opposite end of not knowing the native language. Makes me understand the frustration of all the foreign visitors who I have encountered in my jobs back in the US and I can't help but feel bad for not always extending the patience that I am receiving here. I will definitely take that home with me and remind myself how it felt to not know or understand how to navigate in a foreign country. I wish Americans would learn this style of living and adopt it into our culture. Traveling really does humble you and teaches you about yourself. It allows you to be more open minded and accepting.
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