Diary of my life Ep: 3 – Where I have been
04/09/2024
Wow, it’s been such a long time since I last published a post on this little space I created a few years ago. I remember how excited I was when I first built it and how committed I was to posting as often as possible with content that, hopefully, would be useful to future readers. I have to admit, though, that I’m very happy, surprised, and grateful that people are still landing here, despite the fact that the blog has been dormant for quite some time now.
So, to you, I say thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Not toooo much has happened since my last blog post, which was back in December 2023.
What I’ve Been Up To Since My Last Post
Vietnam
From October 2023 to January 2024, I was in Australia, and then I moved to Vietnam, where I spent close to 45 days. It was my first time in the country, and I really, really liked it. I especially loved a town called Da Nang, where I spent 2.5 weeks living in a homestay with a Vietnamese family, just a 7-minute walk from the beach! I also loved Hoi An with its beautiful vibe. There, I met a group of very cool Italians, and we instantly became friends—something I’m very grateful for. I also visited Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, but they were a bit too much for me. However, everyone I met was super friendly and helpful, and the food was always healthy, fresh, and so cheap!
South Korea
Visiting South Korea was totally an unplanned decision, as usual for me. What pushed me to go there was a very cheap flight to Japan from Seoul, and since Japan has always been one of my dream destinations, I couldn’t resist. Here’s where the slight issue with unplanned travel comes in: the weather in Vietnam was relatively warm, but South Korea and Japan were colder, as it was between February and March! So, after booking the tickets, I spent my last days in Hanoi trying to find warm clothes that wouldn’t make my backpack look too large or full.
Oh, the life and struggles of a budget traveler!
Anyway, Seoul turned out to be an incredible surprise! It’s a beautiful, modern, active, and clean city, with so many elegant old buildings, topped off with nice people and tasty food! I spent around 5 days there and did Couchsurfing at a local guy’s place. It was tiny, but he was super friendly and taught me a lot about Korean culture.
While there, I also met an Italian girl on her first solo trip and so far from home, and we instantly clicked. We met at a small vegan restaurant, and I ended up spending all 5 days with her. I’m sure destiny brought us together because it felt like we needed each other, and we’re still in touch very often.
Japan
Finally, here we are—Japan!
A country that has always fascinated me and has been sooo high on my bucket list. I was captivated by its culture, people, cities, and of course, its manga and anime.
I spent a little over 2 weeks there, visiting Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Mt. Fuji, and Tokyo, and I loved every moment. The only struggle I had was finding vegetarian options because Japanese people do love their meat and fish!
I’ll definitely need to write a longer, dedicated post about Japan, but let me just say that this country did not disappoint! Tokyo is a city I can’t even begin to describe. It’s the busiest in the world, yet everything works, it’s clean, somewhat affordable, and you can find areas where it feels like a small town.
Mount Fuji left me speechless. The deer in Nara were cute and adorable. Kyoto was a full immersion into Japan’s spirituality. Osaka was vibrant. And Tokyo was absolutely memorable.
In Tokyo, I also met a guy for only an hour. He had just arrived while I was leaving the country. It’s a strange feeling, but as soon as I saw him, something clicked inside me. I can’t really explain it, and I don’t want to overthink or rush it. I did visit him in England for 4 days, and they were memorable, but who knows what will happen.
Conclusion
I’ll do my best to get back into writing because there’s so much to say and talk about. For now, though, I just want to thank you for your time and for sticking around!
Until next time,
Dani
