### Hiro | World Bike Traveler | Twitter, Instagram, TikTok | LinktreeView hirotheworld’s Linktree to discover and stream music from top platforms like YouTube, Spotify here. Your next favorite track is just a click away!
Hello, I’m Hiro, the World Bike Traveler. Today, I’d like to share another turning point in my life: my journey from entering university in Japan to studying abroad in the Philippines.
Entering University
Saying Goodbye to Simple Desires
A few months after starting university, I moved from Ibaraki to Tokyo. I had imagined an exciting new life, but reality felt mechanical—two hours of commuting every day, the same routine repeated endlessly.
One day, I realized: If I keep living like this, I’ll wither away without ever finding what I truly love. I’ll fail to live up to my coach’s vision.
My coach had once given me the MVP ball, not for being the best player, but because he wanted me to chase challenges. For the first time, I understood that meaning. That day, I decided to stop waiting and start taking action.
A Catalyst for Action: The Philippines
One afternoon, my parents casually suggested, “Why not study abroad?” Ten minutes later, without thinking twice, I had bought a 250,000 yen ticket to Cebu. It was my first time overseas. I didn’t know what would happen, but for once, I wanted to leap before hesitation caught me.
Arrival in Cebu and a Series of Misfortunes
Disaster struck in Manila—I lost my transit ticket. My vision went white. Surrounded by blank stares, I felt like prey on a savannah. For an hour I searched, ready to give up, when a woman tapped my shoulder and handed me the missing ticket.
In Japan, I had expected it would be stolen. Instead, I found unexpected kindness.
But fate wasn’t finished. A storm delayed my flight, and I finally arrived in Cebu at 2 AM, quietly slipping into my room so as not to wake my roommates.
Facing My Anxiety
The real source of my anxiety was my roommates. Two of them were Korean. I had never spoken to a Korean person before, and Japanese media had given me only stereotypes. I feared they might dislike me simply because I was Japanese.
But I couldn’t turn back now. With a heart trembling like a newborn lamb, I pressed forward.
Breaking Stereotypes
The next morning, I overheard them talking about “the new Japanese guy.” Gathering my courage, I joined the conversation.
One of them smiled and said, “I’m glad you made it safely to Cebu.”
Not “Nice to meet you,” but genuine concern. He explained that when I hadn’t arrived by 1 AM, they had stayed awake, worrying about me.
His kindness shattered my narrow worldview. Until then, “Korea” had been nothing more than headlines and television frames. Now, it was friendship.
Expanding Horizons
From that first act of kindness, my month in the Philippines unfolded with new lessons and encounters. The 300,000 yen I spent was repaid in value within the first day alone.
On the drive home from the airport, sitting in my father’s car, I made a decision: I want to travel the world.
In just one month, my small world had been broken and rebuilt. Now, the thought of stepping into an even wider world filled me with excitement.
### Hiro | World Bike Traveler | Twitter, Instagram, TikTok | LinktreeView hirotheworld’s Linktree to discover and stream music from top platforms like YouTube, Spotify here. Your next favorite track is just a click away!