I decided to get out of my comfort zone and go to Osaka alone.
I have never traveled alone on the railways here in Japan. I’m always too scared to venture away from others with the fear of getting lost or feeling lonely. But I figured I need to take some time to myself and also learn how to not fear adventuring alone. I’ve been to Osaka numerous times already, so I felt this was a good place to start adventuring by myself since I had prior experience.
I decided to make this journey after my class ended. So right after it ended, I stopped at 711 to buy some Pocari Sweat before taking the bus to go to Kyoto Station. But since the heat was so draining, I took a small break and sat outside the 711 in the shade. While I was sitting, a friendly man from Kobe asked me where I was from and wanted to practice his English skills with me. So we chatted about Japan and American cultural differences and he gave me tips on traveling to Kobe. So I feel that a trip to Kobe will soon be in action! Anyway, after my nice conversation, I went on the bus and then soon after I found myself on a train heading to Osaka station!
Once I reached Osaka, I ventured away from the tourist parts of the neighborhood and more into local areas. I got a lot of stares and people approaching me. I was told by a young student who worked at an antique shop that it is very rare for tourists to venture into this part of Osaka. I spent around an hour in this area before heading towards the tourist area to get some food.
The heat was getting to me, I was already starting to feel faint, and to make matters worse, my GPS is still broken so getting around was tough.
I found a restaurant on my way to the tourist area though, and I waited in line to be seated. As I was waiting, a tourist from South Korea started to speak to me. I found out he studied abroad in Australia to learn English and now he is a police office in Korea. We kept talking and eventually continued our conversation in the restaurant where we shared a meal together. He was very friendly.
After my lunch, I explored some shops before heading back home to Kyoto. I got a little lost because I took the wrong exit on accident since I got distracted talking to a French tourist that I met on the train, but I eventually made it home to Kyoto to go to bed early!
Till next time.