daydreams

This week I've been having wonderful daydreams of spending my spring break in Japan. A quick chat with my boss on Tuesday alerted me to the fact that I may be able to find tickets under $1000 after all, and that I should have better luck going through one of the Japanese travel agencies. He mentioned I might even get a price as low as $600something. I didn't tell him that I've got the added expense of wanting to go to Hokkaido (which will involve another flight after arriving in Tokyo or Osaka), but thinking that it could be affordable just had my daydreams start to snowball. I even scoured the internet to find quilt show information for the time of the year I'd be there. couldn't find anything though, I'm better off getting a current issue of Quilts Japan or PQT and having someone read the listings for me.
Aside from daydreaming about quilt shows, I've also been thinking about onsens, the fabulous spa/capsule hotel in Sapporo (i've forgotten the name, but it was amazing), meeting up with old students and co-workers, wandering the streets and department stores, shopping til I can't stand it anymore...
The desire to go has gotten very strong, especially since I'm not pregnant yet. If we keep trying (and get successful one of these months) this may be my last chance to travel on my own for a while. And it kills me to realize that it's been almost five years since i've been to Japan. When I left I never thought I'd be gone for good.
Mrs. K. faithfully calls me every month though. every month for 5 years. If I go, I'll try to stay with her for the full 2 weeks, or atleast most of it (also toying with the idea of spending 2-3 days in Tokyo, because i've never really been there). She hasn't finished the wedding ring quilt she started for me, and I'd like to help her work on it if I can. So yes, my ideal vacation would be spending 10 days in her house in a corner of Tomakomai (a less than exciting, far from traditional city) doing nothing but chatting, cooking, quilting and maybe watching Sumo. Of course I've planned out little day trips to Noboribetsu Onsen (I think it's called Grand Hotel, ahh that was nice) and Sapporo. Maybe even Muroran, just to see it again.
I know a real trip would probably not live up to my expectations and I wouldn't feel wholly satisfied. Even after 2 weeks I'd think it was too short. I'd come back and realize that there's so much more I should have tried to do. I've got a little bit of fear that I'd get there and feel the same dispair and lonliness that I did when I lived there. There are definately pros and cons to traveling alone...

so at the moment I'm content with my daydreams, planning out every minute, keeping it as perfect as possible. Where my money never runs out and I've always got an extra hour to soak in the tub. Somehow I want to capture the scent of the onsen, the sights along the highway, the taste of some washoku dish and a cup of too-hot green tea. I'm soo happy with that image in my mind, I'm scared to take the risk and spend the money if it's not going to be just as I imagined.

but maybe I'll call the travel agent next week.. we'll see.