I'm going to Japan!

I have tagged this post "Travel". How exciting is that. The first non-holiday, extended, beneath-the-surface exploration since... Uganda over 20 years ago. How has it taken so long? After Australia, in my twenties, I assumed that I'd be taking off at regular intervals. Mais non. Instead, I have been living in a to-die-for part of Europe, having lots and lots of mountain fun; looking after our lovely house and garden; riding the ups and downs of Juan's career while navigating the administrative hassles of living in France; and trying to maintain my own path with shiatsu.

So what is driving me? I dunno. Ten years of push-push-pushing to get established, socially and professionally - and not quite there, in all honesty; a desire to break free from all constraint and expectation (leaving Berlitz was a step in the direction of autonomy); wanting to re-connect with the independent woman from way back. The one Juan chose to marry. And as I write that I am having a huge emotional reaction. So that is truly it, I think. And I want to have the experience before the accumulating minor physical issues undermine my confidence to get out there and do it. And - dare I say it - before curiosity and energy to see new places leaves me.

Most of the reactions to my decision to cut loose have been girlfriends, touchingly enthusiastic (Kelli's - "outstanding!" - my favourite). I dropped it into a PC chat session with Juan's brother and his reaction was "It's a little bit far". Well, yes. I have always been attracted to places far from home, and especially islands: university applications to Scotland and the north of England (I ended up at Newcastle); aforementioned Australia and New Zealand; Orkney with my cousin Cinda a few years ago. And there is a pattern in the way I travel. In the 80s I followed in Buff and Colin's footsteps through Indonesia; in Australia I was in Cinda's; in Costa Rica in Alice's. Do I need someone else as a motor? Looks like it: in February this year my shiatsu pal, Maryll, said "Come travelling to Japan" and I couldn't make it work. Now I am, but on my own. And I'm excited about that, as well as being completely terrified.

I've chosen to go as a WWOOFer to try to get below the veneer of tourism. (Click here for an interview with the WWOOF founder who Mum crosses paths with regularly in Bradford-on-Avon!) The plan is also to include some sight-seeing, and bits of freelance editing. Gritty though the latter is, it allows for working on the hoof, thanks to my new, portable laptop. Mobility is the "perk" of the job.

The itinerary is a work in progress. But 7 weeks is beginning to look very short indeed, given the incredible riches in terms of landscapes and culture... Here's the line-up so far. You can click on the links where highlighted - zooming out to see the geographical context. I will update this itinerary as plans develop - though I realise I am undermining my ability to attract you to future blog posts by giving away so much up front! Thus is the internet age, where I can literally walk the streets of my destination using Googlemaps. I have stopped short of doing this at the farms. Or else kill all possibility of spontaneity or surprise.

31 Aug - go to Juan's flat for 3 days
4 Sep - fly to Gatwick
11-14 Sep - shiatsu course in UK
17 Sep - fly to Tokyo; negotiate inner-city public transport and get myself to the mountain town of Matsumoto a few hours west of Tokyo, staying at a Matsumoto backpackers for one night
18 Sep - travel a couple of hours to first host, here. What I know about the place you can see here. The address to which all birthday cards should be sent (ha ha?): 2220 Kashimo, Nakatsugawa-city, Gifu pref. 508-0421 Japan, or 岐阜県 中津川市 加子母2220番地 (!!!).
Tel 0573-79-3268, masa@mori-no-ie.com
I'll be working around 6 hours a day doing light domestic work, kid care (!), and anything else that needs doing.
24-25 Sep - a couple of days away at Magomechaya ryokan; explore Magome and ancient 7km route to Tsumago
6 Oct - travel to hostel at Takayama and stay there for the autumn festival
11 Oct - travel to second host, Sakamoto Noujou, near Hiroshima
Tel 0848-66-3592 yasaiwa_sakamoto@yahoo.co.jp
I'll be cleaning eggs and ???

25-28 Oct - Kyoto
28-30 Oct - Kanazawa, and Kenrouken garden
30 Oct-6 Nov - woofing at a guest house on the Noto peninsula.
6-8 Nov - Tokyo, staying at Rimi Ryokan
9 Nov fly back to London

Just time to land, recover, do a particularly tricky freelance job, and then re-launch. Because this year is special in terms of Juan's Swiss holiday allowance. In recognition of his excessive overtime he has been granted an extra 2 weeks. So we're making a long Christmas break, flying to Chile on 6 December 'til 1 January. Yes, I know... a glut of exotic, carbon-footprint-busting travel. And, as holiday planning is part of my job description, plans to learn a bit of basic Japanese have had to be shelved while I go into a planning frenzy, switching from country to country. Lucky I'm such a calm and well grounded individual. Ha ha. Seriously, I'm aware that my addiction to soul-bearing, the antithesis of things Japanese, will be amongst behaviours I will have to curb, if I want to avoid giving offence.