Naha: Days 4 to 6

September 10, 2023

Naha: Days 4 to 6

On day 4 in Naha, I went to the Fukushuen Garden, then Naminoue Beach, and the Naminoue Shrine. They were close to the hostel so I didn't have to walk too far. Fukushuen Garden is a Chinese style garden that was very cool and was the highlight of the day. Naminoue Beach has a bridge that's right by the ocean, thus obstructing the oceanfront view. Also the beach was quite small. Naminoue Shrine is yet another shrine. I think I'm all shrined out by now.

The next morning, I got an haircut at Nile Barber Shop, which is run by an old couple. I used Google Translate to communicate to the barber what I wanted done. He and his wife cut my hair and did some trimming in the back. It was my first time going to a barber shop in about 25 years since I've been cutting my hair at home all this time. My haircut was 1500 JPY, or a little over $10. For the rest of the day, I stayed in the hostel, thinking about my travel plans. Do I want to go north to Sapporo after I return to Tokyo? When should I go to Seoul? All these questions, and more, are still unanswered.

Yesterday, I had a morning date with a woman named Andrea from Bumble. It was a last minute thing since we arranged the date only the night before. She drove to the hostel, which has a cafe on the first floor. Andrea is in the navy and had graduated from Harvard University. She enlisted in the military only two years ago. We had a great conversation over breakfast, however, I didn't feel there's a future here for me in Okinawa in terms of work and life.

After the date, I walked to Makishi Market via Kokusai Street and ate a plate of yakisoba for an early lunch. For the rest of the day, I was feeling a bit down. I feel traveling is tiring and boring when I'm not sharing my experiences with a travel partner. There are only so many things I can distract myself with to not get lonely. It's also weird that when I'm traveling I want to settle down and when I'm settled down I want to travel. This ebb and flow of the tide is something I have to deal with. In a way, I think this is normal. We always want to chase what we don't have at the moment. The possibility of coming back to King of Prussia after visiting Japan is also now on the table since I feel lonely. I guess I'll have to see how I feel after I get back to Tokyo. The future is uncertain for me and I feel changes are coming.