Japan Day 1: Arrival Day

Today was a travel day, so it was a bit tiresome and nerve-wracking at times. It’s been almost 10 years since I last visited, so I’ve forgotten a lot of what I learned about how to get around, and this time, I arrived by myself, which means I don’t have Karl with me to help figure things out. I love working together as a team to divide and conquer, but I’m glad I came here alone. It’s my first time going on an international trip without a companion, and it is an important step for me in increasing my confidence and assurance in myself. 

I don’t want to spend too much time on these blogs at the moment so I’m just going to braindump the essentials and come back and fill more details in later, including photos once technology and time allow me to but it’s my hope to make notes about each day of my trip within a few days of it to share with friends and family and for future me to come back and elaborate on. If there’s anything you’re curious about message me or shoot me an email and I’ll prioritize those things first. My email is carol@carolrecord.com . For those of you eager to see pictures. I change hotels tomorrow and after getting settled in I’m hopeful to get my technology syncing so that I can start dumping photos to FB and my online album (found under Photos in the menu).

Highlights

• Flying to Japan
• Touch down in Tokyo
• Shinjuku (Tokyo)
  • I checked into my hotel
  • Picked up snacks from the convenience store
  • Passed out at 7 PM Japan time

Flying to Japan

The time traveling part of moving across the globe so quickly is so surreal. It was 10 AM EST in Atlanta when my flight took off on June 11th. My flight to Tokyo was nonstop about around 15 hours. When I landed in Tokyo, it was noon June 12th. I’m not sure how to process this in my Google Calendar or in my mind. I was about to write ‘Maybe humans weren’t designed to move so fast,’ but I think the problem is in our minds with all the different dates and times.  Why can’t it be the same date and time around the world? Yes, I know this is influenced by the sun, but maybe we should redefine our perception of time.

Anyway, my flight was okay. I didn’t sleep as much as I had hoped, but I did sleep intermittently. I had the window seat and was excited to get to look at the sky, but it was too bright to have the window open most of the flight, so I only got to enjoy a short bit of time watching the clouds. When I first boarded my plane, someone was in the wrong seat, so there was a bit of a shuffle trying to get everyone out and rearranged during the plane loading. They took my airplane kit (pillow/blanket/flip-flops), which was annoying, so I had to ask for another one. I know it’s not a big deal but it was just one more bit of anxiety at the time. Thankfully, the flight attendant took care of me, and I could relax somewhat when the plane took off. 

I love the sensation of taking off—the speed of the plane as it builds and that moment you can feel it lift off the ground. It’s my absolute favorite moment, and I record it almost every time I have an opportunity to do so. If I could have any superpower, it would be flight. That feeling of freedom and lightness is something my soul craves.

I think I only got out of my seat to go to the bathroom and stretch twice, which was less than I expected. My body ached from being confined so much, and my butt started hurting a little over halfway through the flight, but I distracted myself by reading, editing videos, and watching movies. I used to be an avid movie watcher and kept a schedule of new releases, but I’ve barely watched anything in years. It was strange for me to watch over 3 movies during my flight, and by watching, I mean sit through. The person behind me kept kicking and bumping my seat throughout the flight which was super annoying. I almost turned around to snap at them several times. I didn’t but maybe I should have. It turned out to be a kid so I’m not angry about it but I denied that kid a learning opportunity by not saying something to him or his parents ‘in a polite way’ so he can learn not to do that. I find myself still struggling to stand up for myself in some cases. This is just a tiny example but it’s still relevant and makes me wonder just ‘how much’ does it take to get someone to respond, take action, or stand up for themselves both individually and as a group. 🤔

Movies watched and thoughts.

Dune Part 2 – You’re missing out if you’re unfamiliar with this sci-fi series.

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I thought the pacing was bad in Part 1, but Part 2 hit differently. It made me think about destinies, prophecies, belief systems, love, marriage, and alliances. All of which I can relate to to some degree in my own life. These days I can’t watch or read something without something in it obviously resonating with me in some way and most often spurring some sort of deep thought or revelation. 

Perfect Days – A beautiful Japanese film about a man who cleans toilets and photographs the same tree every day.

This movie was so beautiful that I would love to spend more time later reflecting on why it struck a chord in me so deeply. Most likely, it’s about seeing beauty in the ordinary and defying expectations and conventions, which are all things at which I excel. I’ve been thinking a lot about just running away and starting over. Maybe getting a food service job or something ordinary and mindless to reduce stress if I need to. I didn’t want to for a long time because of societal stigma, but aside from the schedule, I enjoyed my time in that industry when I was younger. All I wanted when I was younger was a job where I got to use my mind. Now I’m exhausted because there’s never enough time. The idea of a job where I can clock in and out and not worry about work sounds appealing sometimes…

Aladdin – The animated Disney classic.

I slept through most of the movie but enjoyed what I did watch. Over the past three years, I’ve begun to perceive divine messages in almost everything, so now, watching things from the past is a completely different experience. I always find some nugget or connection. While watching this movie, I identified at different times with Aladdin, Jasmine, and the Genie. It was fascinating to be conscious of shifting from character to character, including male-to-female perspectives.

In recent years, I’ve become more open about identifying as two-spirit or gender fluid for simplicity’s sake. Ultimately, gender is just a construct. Biologically, I am female, but mentally, I usually inhabit a more masculine space. Most of the time, I don’t associate with gender at all—it’s like an outfit I put on each day, depending on who I’m interacting with. However, I am aware of what I’ll call two different personas—though there are more than two, I’ll refer to the extremes as male and female. I’m still trying to unravel my complex web of gender and spirit, especially since my spiritual growth and ability to channel have complicated things. For now, ‘Carol’ is my collective identity. My masculine and feminine sides have their own names, but I’m not comfortable talking about them at the moment.

Watching the movie also made me think of people in my own life. For instance, Aladdin’s fear of telling Jasmine the truth reminded me of Karl’s anxiety and nervousness, prompting me to reflect on some of our relationship dynamics. Although I only saw the beginning and some of the end, I trust divine timing. I know I saw what I needed to see now, and those breadcrumbs of thought will help lead me somewhere.

A Beautiful Mind – A story about a genius with schizophrenia.

I didn’t finish this movie, but I would really like to. I thought I had seen it before, and I probably have, but it seemed so new as I watched it. I identify as a misunderstood genius. 😅 When the movie revealed the character was schizophrenic and that his experiences weren’t real, at least in the reality everyone else was living in, it made me sad. It made me worry that I might be labeled similarly because of my experiences.

Thankfully, I’ve researched and found communities with thousands of other spiritually gifted people like me. This has helped me understand that what I’m experiencing is real, even if it’s hard for people still fully plugged into the matrix to perceive that possibility. While some mental illnesses are real, a lot of what gets labeled as mental illness is, in my opinion, just mental differences. For instance, I’m bipolar, though I’ve been hesitant to talk about that publicly because society labels it a ‘mental illness’ instead of a ‘mental difference.’ I don’t want to accept any labels implying something wrong with me because I know God created me perfectly. I believe my ‘bipolar’ characteristics are incredible gifts that endow me with a greater range of feelings and other beneficial traits.

Instead of recognizing the amazing gifts people who are bipolar possess (when in a healthy state), American society focuses on the unhealthy states that can occur because of bipolar. It makes things worse for those with bipolar because they are in a hostile environment instead of a supportive mode and never get to leave survival mode.

Here’s a metaphor that I think makes it very clear: people who are bipolar are like mutants in the X-Men universe. They were born a bit different and have special powers, but they need help learning how to use and control those powers in a society that doesn’t accept their differences and tries to make them feel like there’s something wrong with them. I dream of one day becoming my version of Professor Xavier, possibly with my school, community, or team like his. It’s a long way off, but one of my biggest dreams is to form an interdisciplinary think tank of neurodivergent, autistic, and other exceptionally gifted ‘misfits’ and use our superpowers to change the world. It’s a big dream, so I don’t expect it to happen overnight, but I like to plant seeds for things. I would love in some way to help other people who are different fully realize and appreciate their gifts and learn how to use them for good. I’d also like to educate and change the status quo of society via activism and awareness, which is what I’m doing right now. So yay! 

Touch Down in Tokyo

• Disembarked
• Customs
• Currency Exchange
• Picked up a portable wifi device
• Purchased a gashapon (vending machine toy)
  • I got the one I hoped for! Cat with a Pearl Earring art toy. 
• Enjoyed a wonderful sushi meal at the airport.
• I traveled by rail to Shinjuku

Shinjuku – Finding My Hotel

• Walked 10 minutes from the station with my luggage. Why did I pack so much?! LOL
• Checked into the Sunlite Shinjuku Hotel
  • The room was a bit smaller than expected but typical for a Japanese hotel. The hotel itself is in a good location despite being a bit of a walk and has a good simple vibe.
• Picked up snacks from a nearby convenience store.
• I went to bed around 7 pm Japan time
  • I thought I would wake up before midnight but I didn’t which is fine. I want to make sure I rest as much as possible so that I have energy to be fully engaged in whatever I do experience.