southwest part 1

despite having lived in the US for over 10 years at this point, not once had i the chance to contemplate its true beauty.

but yeah, even after turning 18, i kept going to japan because i really loved the food. mostly the food but it’s also just something i wanted to experience since i’ve heard much of it and dreamed of it.

following going to japan about 3 breaks in a row, and being able to drive a car for two of those breaks, i thought it was about time that i explored the US for myself. i had a car and was old enough to do just about anything i would need. maturity is another conversation but where the chance presents itself i’ll take it.

in my prior trip to japan in summer 2025, it was not my first time travelling alone but it was my first time driving alone, first time on a road trip, first time sleeping in a car… actually a lot of firsts but those are the most relevant. anyway this trip out west was also the similar format of frolicking and driving around with no real goal or plan, and i thought i’d be ready since i already did similar thing in japan. while some of the lessons id learned road tripping in japan came in handy, i think it would be an understatement to say that roadtripping in japan is like a tutorial level compared to roadtripping out here.