Discovering Independence

Do you sometimes travel on your own?
Some of us prefer travelling with friends or family. Some prefer to travel on their own.

This summer in Japan, we all went back to my hometown for a month and left our daughter with my sister in our country town called Fukui. It was her first time living without us. It’s a really different dynamic when travelling on our own.

The day we left Fukui, I got emotional. It was a strange feeling leaving my daughter behind in my hometown. Normally it’s my mum and Grandma waving at me through the car window saying goodbye. I really felt sad when we were leaving our daughter behind.

First few weeks, anything she experienced in Fukui was all fun. But as she got used to the speed of living in a country town in Japan, she realised that it’s a really boring place to be as a young person. It was the reason I left Fukui when I was young. THERE IS NOTHING TO DO IN FUKUI!

Naima started to get bored and wanted to come home to Australia straight away. She missed us and more importantly she missed her friends. She couldn’t communicate well with my family in Japan, especially since they have a strong Fukui accent.

My sister quit her job recently after 30 years of work, the two spent time together and became quite close. My sister felt a little sad with all her children not being home. So it was good timing for them to spend time together.

Once Naima got used to moving around, she started to travel on her own. She went to Kanazawa, on the north side of Fukui. Then to Kyoto and Osaka, visiting many art galleries and exploring.

Naima came back to Brisbane recently. She looks different. She has definitely changed since the last time I saw her in Japan. She just loved her experience in Fukui. Even though it was a boring place in the beginning, she started to find beauty in a country town with lots of nature, history and her Aunt.

Travelling on her own she was able to connect with a part of her history, reflect on her life and focus on her true desires. Meet her family members on a deeper level and experience daily life. I am sure this experience will resonate with her more over time compared to looking at the shiny lights of Tokyo.