Since I returned from my trip home to Singapore at the end of May, it’s been a rather tough three months both on the personal and work side. Back in June, I had been thinking of going away some time in August for a break. I was mulling over Japan but was also looking for something interesting to do there and someone to go with. Then on the morning of Friday 6 July, a friend from Sydney whatsapp-ed me and asked if I’d like to join her dragonboat team for a race in Osaka on 26 August. They needed some people to make up numbers in the boat.

And I thought, “Hey, why not??” I mean, I was looking for something to do and I wanted to go to Japan anyway. The dates suited me as well. I also have a friend in Kyoto whom I’ve been planning to visit all this while. So I then emailed my friend in Kyoto to ask if she’d be around during those dates and she replied “yes” shortly after I sent the email. That afternoon I applied for leave and my boss approved it 15 minutes later. When I got home that night, I went online and booked my ticket on Japan’s newest budget airline, Peach. So everything just fell into place within a day. Don’t you love it when things work out so well?

I haven’t been back to Japan in two years and I’m SO looking forward to visiting this amazing country again. I’m also looking forward to catching up with my friend from Sydney. Funny thing is, we met each other when we were both living in London and paddling in the same dragonboat team. After we both left London, we have met each other in Australia, Malaysia and Hong Kong because of dragonboat and outrigger canoeing competitions. And now Japan! I’m so happy that I took up dragonboating and canoeing when I was in junior college…I have gained so much in terms of friendship and experiences because of the sports.

I also can’t wait to meet my friend in Kyoto and exchange stories about our lives as Singaporeans working abroad. Ah, the excitement of travel…I’ve missed this feeling. So come Tuesday I will find myself in Japan where I will spend a week getting to know Kyoto and Osaka. If anyone has any recommendations for places to visit or eat at, please tell!