I choose you, Japan!
Hey everybody,
Welcome to Stacy’s exciting world of going on epic adventures around the world. This time we’re going all the way to Tokyo, let’s goooo!
It’s true. I have a very hard time staying put in one place for too long. Do you know the German word fernweh? It’s the opposite of homesick and it means travel sick when you are home too long. Hiiii, that’s me. Your friendly globetrotter.
I have put off this blog as soon as I booked this trip (lol, about 3 weeks ago). It wasn’t because of lack of trying. I must have written about 5 long blog posts thus far and nothing felt sticky. Maybe I am going through a writers block. Maybe there’s too much to say. Or, maybe this is a trip that is worth discussing after the fact. Haha — maybe that is my excuse! ;)
So, let me lay it out real quick for you. You have arrived at this page because you have gotten one of my Pokémon cards either as a gift from me personally, a shop that has decided to pass them out for me, or any place my Japan “hire a friend” service takes me.
My plan is that there is no plan. The year 2025 was filled with so many downs. No ups — just consistent downs. Amsterdam human trafficking trauma, multiple psychosis episodes, family and friends dying, moving back to Denver, and still dealing with the horrible dating field that exists today. These are just the highlighted features!
BUT, it is the last day of the year and I choose to put 2025 to bed. In Tokyo. With a bunch of Pokémon cards because life is more fun living in color.
That’s it. That is why I am here. This last year made me lose a bit of color from my starry eyes. For months, all I could see was a deep gray abyss and although I have climbed my way out of that starkness — I still feel guarded. My trip to Japan is about reclaiming a part of myself I know is still there. Learning how to play again.
The world has gotten really crowded and overly noisy. No matter where I go a million pop ups happen like a virus on a computer in the late 90s. Engage more now! Buy now! Book now! If you don’t you will get FOMO!!!! And, just like that *poof* individualized personalities have tanked because “human connection” has gone online only, which is also monetized.
My brain wanders to: Pokemon. My childhood. My innocence. My sense of wonder, play, and magical fun. A multi-platform gaming universe that is full of color, cute characters, and it’s fulfilling because you (and your Pokémon) grow with the game. To get to Mewtwo with the Master Pokeball you have to beat the final four, then go into another excruciatingly long dark cave, and find him. It took practice, patience, and sheer will to get there but you wanted Mewtwo THAT bad.
Nothing is like that anymore. A place where the digital world intentionally has a beginning and end place. It’s not meant to go on forever. We had it right in the 90s. Today? The world needs a bit of help.
Frankly, I don’t know what I am set out to do. I just want to be here and be present. And, leave a bit of Stacy sparkle all over the place while doing it.
If you find a Pokémon card, it is yours to keep. I hope you enjoy it. All cards are in a plastic sleeve with another card inserted with a QR code to find me. I have over 500 Pokémon cards ranging in rarity of Mega Charizard EX to First Editions to the basic common cards. It’s meant to be a cheeky game — can you find them all?
I know this blog is short but I am not here to write. I am here to explore and play in Tokyo.
The journey starts today.
