By
Dora
Machado
If everything goes as planned, by this time you read
this, I'll be on a plane to Japan. Even though I've been to Asia Minor before,
this will be my first trip to Asia proper. I'm so excited! For this trip, I've
had to make zero planning effort. That's because I'm teaming up with one of my
all-time favorite traveling companions, travel blogger Mariana Marshall of http://marianaonthemove.com/, with whom
I walked the last 100 kilometers of the Camino of Santiago de Compostela. She is
also my daughter.
The advantages of tagging along with a travel
blogger can't be understated. My traveling companion carefully researched and
selected the itinerary and made all of the traveling arrangements,
transportation and lodging reservations. I just get to come along for the ride!
We'll be spending some time in Tokyo and then
traveling on to explore Kyoto and its environs. We've got a very long list, but
I'm looking forward to staying at a traditional Japanese guest house (ryokan), exploring the natural hot
springs (onsens), and riding Japan's
fabulous bullet trains.
Packing for Japan in the winter had me asking a lot
of questions, but travel bloggers are Girl Scouts at heart, and mine found this
awesome packing list from a fellow blogger:
http://herpackinglist.com/2012/12/ultimate-female-packing-list-japan-winter/.
My writer's packing list must, of course, include my
computer, tablet and cell phone. We don't speak the language, so we've uploaded
some interesting apps that might help if all else fails. I'll let you know how
that goes.
Technology is a wonderful convenience, but I've
learned that, when traveling, it isn't always reliable. So in addition, I'm
bringing a good, small, old-fashioned notebook to jot down my thoughts and
observations, a few good pens, and my camera, all indispensable tools that will
work with or without an Internet connection, and that are suitable to all
environments.
But the most important elements for a successful
trip are stowed not in my suitcase, but rather in my mind. They include
flexibility, openness and imagination. Flexibility is key when traveling, the
ability to roll with the punches, accept, adapt and adjust to the changes
intrinsic to the traveling experience. From airports to hotels, from technology
to people, traveling exposes us to new situations that test our comfort levels
and push our boundaries.
An open mind is also vital to the traveling
experience. It allows us to see the world for what it is, not for what we think
it should be. It also teaches us to value the differences that make each place
unique and each culture extraordinary.
And finally, I bring along my number-one
writing tool, my imagination, to take in the sights, sounds, smells and tastes
that I've never experienced before, to relish the emotions of the journey, to
collect the odd, the common and the spectacular, to understand and process the
experience of being human. For a gal into world building, the traveling
experience is a rich trove indeed.
So, wish me luck.
Sayonara, kids!
*****
Dora Machado is
the award-winning author of the epic fantasy Stonewiser series and her newest
novel, The Curse Giver, available
from Twilight Times Books. She grew up in the Dominican Republic, where she
developed a fascination for writing and a taste for Merengue. After a lifetime
of straddling such compelling but different worlds, fantasy is a natural fit to
her stories. She lives in Florida with her husband and three very opinionated
cats.
Dora also writes features for Murder By Four, an
award winning blog for people interested in reading and writing, and Savvy Authors,
where writers help writers.
For a free excerpt of The Curse Giver, visit http://twilighttimesbooks.comthingsTheCurseGiver_ch1.html.
Have a wonderful, safe, and informative trip.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck, Dora! We can't wait to hear all about your adventures when you safely return to us. ;o)
ReplyDeleteI hope your trip will go well and that you'll enjoy every minute of it, Dora.
ReplyDeleteYour post got me to thinking about a book I read (and reviewed at Shiny Book Review a while ago), Gideon Lewis-Kraus's "A Sense of Direction." He, too, walked the Camino in Spain, and the second part of his book talks about his travels in Japan (there's a famous set of 88 Buddhist temples, and he decided to travel them on foot). There's a lot of interesting stuff in that book and the writing is stellar . . . anyway, that's what came to mind as I read your post.
Take care and have fun!
Barb
ReplyDeleteThanks Terry, Aaron and Barb! How interesting. I'll have to look up "A Sense of Direction." Sounds like it'll be right up my alley. :) So far, the trip is amazing. I'm posting little bits and pictures on FB if anyone is interested. Otherwise, I'll tell you all about it when I come back. Have a great one!