in this week’s newsletter: recapping adventures from quarter one of 2023, travel journal flip throughs, and sharing some thoughts and reflections for this new season
dear penpals -
when i lived in the big city, i would know when i’ve hit that ‘awkward small talk’ moment with a person whenever the silence in the middle of a conversation would be interrupted with talk about the weather. it was the key moment when i knew we’ve ran out of things to say to each other, but are too polite to walk away.
living in the countryside has changed my outlook because i’m realizing i can’t stop talking about the weather and its changing season with random grandpas and grandmas casually taking a stroll, with customers that come to the cafe, and even with friends back in canada. the weather is no longer a point of awkwardness, but of joy to notice - really notice - the tiny ways nature is both fragile and powerful in its growth.
the completed travel journal flip through of my time in kamikatsu, starting from the bone-chilling winter in january, to the welcoming of sunshine and blooming flowers in march. in the same way nature has changed throughout this video, i have as well.
a lot has happened these past three months and i’m excited to share them all with you.
click on the image or the link to the video here!
today marks the first day of april, and in japanese culture the month of april is what we use to mark the beginning of both the fiscal and school year. as the 桜 [sa·ku·ra] (meaning: cherry blossom) begin to bloom mid-march and fully bloom in april, japanese history has long used nature as a way to signify new beginnings and a new start to the year.
the blooming sakura has been used to represent that transient and fragility of the beauty of life - the flower petals fall just as quickly as they bloom, and if you don’t stop in the busyness of life to look around, you just might miss it. sakura allows for joyful 花見 [ha·na·mi] traditions, literally meaning ‘flower viewing’ where friends and family gather under cherry blossom trees, have a picnic, and enjoy time together. they also are considered the abode of the souls of our ancestors - to look at sakura is to look at one’s ancestors and remember them.
within the span of a single year, i get to celebrate the start of a new year three times. once on january 1st, once on lunar new year, and today. i personally love that both my cultures use nature - the moon and the trees - as my guide to remind myself to celebrate new beginnings. and i think there’s something powerful to be said that there’s not just ‘one’ day and moment in time where we get a fresh start.
in japanese culture, we don’t follow the 4 seasonal differentiations within a year, but 72. we see the changing pieces of nature in 72 microseasons that offer a poetic journey through the ways in which nature grows and changes within a year. starting from the moment the earth awakens and blooms with life, until it returns to slumber and rest.
and i don’t know about you, but if i choose nature as my guide and see how it gives itself grace to grow through new beginnings and fresh starts 72 times, maybe that’s my reminder that i’m allowed to extend the same kindness to myself.
so today i allow myself to not be held to the standard and expectation i set for myself back on january 1st. rather, i allow for continual changes, to grow and keep growing, and take deep breaths to slow down and notice how the sun shines a little longer each day, the birds sing a different song each morning, and how the air feels and smells different with each passing day. today i choose to gift myself a restart and welcome new beginnings.
I loved your travel montage/journal flip through. I felt so much happiness watching it :) Did you make a little トトロ? 👀
Thank you for the reminder about starting over and putting things to rest. I’m left one of my part time jobs in February and I’m still looking for a job. I know that good things are coming to me and I’ll take some time to let go of leftover feelings/stress from my previous job. 😌
P.S. Would you ever consider a post on how you create your little vlog style videos? Like how you decide what to film? I totally get if you’d rather not share too! Only if you’re comfortable sharing your process:)
Mina, I love your writing's and videos. And the blossoms are beautiful, thank you for sharing.