Swapping the Saddle for the Passenger Seat
Morning finally broke, and around 11:00 AM, my parents arrived to pick me up. It was time to head back to my hometown in Gunma.
A part of me had wanted to ride my bike all the way back to my family home, but I knew deep down I had already pushed myself to the absolute limit and accomplished everything I set out to do. Feeling a deep sense of fulfillment, I decided to skip the final pedal and hop into my parents' car instead. My very first meal upon returning to Japan? Anpan (a sweet red bean bun).
The Taste of Home: $6.50 Service Area Ramen
We hit the highway for the two-hour drive back home and made a pit stop at a service area to grab some real food.
I ordered a bowl of ramen for 1,000 yen (about $6.50 USD). The sheer affordability hit me hard—in Australia, a bowl like this would easily set you back 2,500 to 3,000 yen ($16.50 to $20.00 USD). Over there, everyday Japanese staples like a ginger pork set meal were nearly impossible to find.
I went with the tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen. While it wasn't the most mind-blowing bowl I've ever had, getting it for just $6.50 USD was incredible. The flavor was nostalgic, and I was simply ecstatic just to be eating Japanese ramen again. Honestly, I didn't have any specific cravings; everything in Japan is so delicious and affordable that I was just grateful for whatever I could get.
Unpacking Treasures in the Safe Zone
After another hour and a half on the road, we finally pulled up to my family home.
Walking through the door and unpacking all my bags brought an overwhelming wave of relief. It felt amazing to bring all the "treasures" I'd collected on my journey back into a completely safe zone.
During my five-month stint in Australia, someone named Julie had given me a recipe book. I decided to gift it to my grandpa.
The entire book is in English, but he flipped through the pages with genuine interest, remarking, "This is amazing". I think he was less fascinated by the actual recipes and more captivated by the sheer novelty of it—a thick, unfamiliar foreign book you just don't see in Japan. He was really drawn to how fresh and different it felt.
Two Months to Recharge
And so begins my slow road to recovery. I'll be laying low and resting up here for about two months before setting off on my next grand adventure.