Tranquility, Peace, Calm, Pamper

Day 6
Karuizawa, 16,875 steps, 13.8 kilometers

A pit stop. Rest day. Time to slow down, recharge, and refuel.

Like a day out of time. Nowhere to be, no plans, carefree. Just exploring.  Wandering. Absorbing the nature around and inhaling clean autumn air.

Tranquility.

Except for the evening — that’s when a shiatsu therapist got my back absolutely demolished.

Oh boy. Pressure points were pressed. Legs were pulled. Spine was stretched. Hard.

A very non-nonsense treatment it was. Everything started in less than two minutes after the therapist entered my hotel room. There was no ceremony about it. No consultation, not even a constant form. Straight to business.

Rules of the walk

Today was slow — so instead of describing the happenings of the day, let me take this opportunity to share the rules I have set for myself for this trip.

I’m a fan of the concept of forcing functions — setting rules and designing circumstances/environments so that they more-or-less gently push you towards the desired behaviors. That's how I get most of my things done.

These rules are my forcing functions:

• Walk at least 10 kilometers every day.
• Avoid other means of transport if possible (it wasn’t in Tokyo, don’t know about Kyoto yet). Obvious exception is traveling from one city to another.
• Don’t complain in this newsletter.
• Complete disconnect while out and about, including restaurants and coffee shops. Exceptions include maps, Google Translate, and WhatsApp (to chat with my wife).
• Music and podcasts are off limits too. I’m not taking my AirPods with me when exploring.
• Edit photos and write a note/newsletter each day.
• Have coffee in each city, preferably in a kissa. (Bonus points for ordering pizza toast.)

These rules encourage me to be present and focused on the experience. They make me feel each city under my feet and let me get to know each location better. I'm enjoying that feeling (even though my legs might not).

I also like how these rules force a creative rigor onto me. It takes a non-trivial amount of time each evening to cull the photos, edit the selected ones, and write and publish an entry. And even if the number of readers of this newsletter remains in single-digits, I’ll be grateful I found time to write it. I know it will make for richer memories.

And there is still more to make! Tomorrow — a new, and warmer, city. Stay tuned!

— Chris