The sun has already risen but it is only 5:44 a.m. when I open my eyes and glance at the clock from the coziness of my bed. I sleep with the bedroom shutters open so that I can wake naturally, with the light, instead of by alarm. A good excuse to leave my iPhone out of the bedroom.

All is quiet and I can see it is slightly cloudy right now with a bit of bright blue sky visible, a delicious morning to wake up to. After a moment I stretch, fully awake, and I know the outdoors is calling to me, before my morning qi gong, before yoga, I need to get outside.

I fling back the covers and pull on my sweatshirt and yoga pants while Purdey, my springer-spaniel companion, excitedly jumps off the bed. I look at her and say “let’s go.”

Downstairs I put on my shoes and coat and add my knitted cap as it is still chilly these spring mornings on the coast of Scotland. I kneel down to get Purdey into her harness, which takes a moment as she is wriggling with delight. She loves our morning jaunts as much as I do. Maybe more? Who’s to say?

I open our big wood door to go outside, and there on the stone step sits a small bottle of ice-cold milk. The milk deliveries delight me - they take me back in time to my childhood in New England and the normalcy back then of your milk being delivered to your door (and there being a ‘milk man’), not as something unusual or extra but a normal part of how the world worked. Is it special here, I wonder? Or just something that has lingered on and is the way the world works here?

I put the milk bottle off to the side of the steps, deeper in the shade, where it will definitely stay quite cold while we walk. I turn left and head to the main road, a lane really, for a slow stroll down to the sea and beach, which is only a 3 minute walk. Each day this view lights me up inside. The sparkly sea stretching out before me, framed by the stone walls on each side of the road and the overhanging greenery from trees and bushes just beginning to burst with color, becoming more lush by the days that are alternating rain and sun.

As we reach the small promenade by the beach, I stop and take a deep breath of the invigorating salty air. I look up and down the beach and see no one else is out yet. We have the spot to ourselves for the moment.

I can clearly see Edinburgh today across the sea - the distinctive shapes of the grand castle and Arthur’s Seat and the modern buildings of Leith. The tide is out (is it going out or coming in? I don’t quite know.) and the rocks create tide pools and I spot our Great Heron friend who lives in and around these waters. I watch him slowly and silently stalking his breakfast in the shallow waves. I see him here, in the low tide, and more often up in the creek that runs down into the tiny boat harbor, next to the field full of bunnies and sheep, and I never get tired of admiring him.

I wander a bit, enjoying the sun now full above the cover and the three stone houses that seem to jut out into the sea. I think I have taken a dozen pictures of this view in the last few weeks but I take one more now - to remember when I’m gone.

But now I’m ready to head back to the house to get Purdey her breakfast and for me to start my day so we start our walk up the hill. As we get closer, I hear another sound above the birdsong and identify it as the grinding of bike chains. A boy, wearing big headphones, with a big carrier bag slung across his body, wizzes by me with a wave. I watch him head down my street and slow as he reaches into the bag and expertly throws a newspaper that lands on the front steps of the house next to mine.

I watch the paperboy disappear down the street, give Purdey a long pet and walk up our steps, grabbing our cold bottle of fresh milk, and go inside to officially start the day.

2 (strong) Recommendations

I have two recommendations for your ‘calming pursuits’ this week and these are two things that keep giving me delight and I am thrilled to share.

The film ‘Perfect Days’. I would like to say to just trust me on this one and go into it knowing nothing but since I have a recommend on how to watch I will give the film synopsis here:

“Hirayama feels content with his life as a toilet cleaner in Tokyo. Outside of his structured routine, he cherishes music on cassette tapes, reads books and takes photos. Through unexpected encounters, he reflects on finding beauty in the world.”

I LOVED this perfect film. Watching it created so many wonderful emotions in me: I kept smiling and then crying a bit and back to smiling. Most of all, I felt a deep contentment when I finished watching and the film has stayed on my mind as I move through the world.

I recommend watching it in its original language, japanese, instead of choosing a dubbed version. I always watch films or shows in their original language and use subtitles and it just makes for a more authentic experience.

I watched ‘Perfect Days’ on Hulu.

The book ‘Things Become Other Things’ A Walking Memoir by Craig Mod.

‘A transformative 300-mile walk along Japan’s ancient pilgrimage routes and through depopulating villages inspires a heartrending remembrance of a long-lost friend, documented in poignant, imaginative prose and remarkable photography.’

I cannot recommend this book enough. I did not know what to expect as I had never heard of this writer before (I am a super fan now) but the description grabbed me immediately as I am such a huge walker. Walking has long been my “safe place” since I was a child and no matter how short or long, walking creates calm inside of me. Walking has also been such an important part of my travel life, as it provides a point of view of new places that you cannot get from a car, bus or train, and I spend hours walking and exploring my cities every week.

The writing in this book is so beautiful, you can see in the picture above that I have bookmarked many pages.

“….and in that expansion I had new space. There’s a word in Japanese that sums up this feeling better than anything in English: yoyū. A word that somehow means: the excess provided when surrounded by generous abundance. It can be applied to hearts, to wallets, Sunday afternoons, and more.”

I didn’t know, until reading this book, that I have been experiencing so much yoyū in my life. What a gift to be able to put a word to my feelings.

I linked to Craig Mod’s website. The book was just released in mid-May and I’m sure you can get it at your local bookseller.

Both of the above recommendations have brought a deep calling in me to return to Japan. I spent 5 weeks living in Kyoto, Japan in 2019 while I was traveling around the world, living in a different country every month for 9 months. Japan was indescribably wonderful. I felt as though I was living my best life there, in Kyoto, and spent the entire time there. There is so much more to explore and in particular ‘Things Become Other Things’ has lit a bit of fire inside me. Stay tuned….

Dreaming of Japan

Michele Boyer

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May 5, 2023

On this day in 2019, I was beginning a month of living in Kyoto, Japan. It was my first (and only at this point) visit and I fell deeply in love. Kyoto is so very special and I can’t wait to go back.

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That is what I have for you this week, sweet friends. Take good care and thank you so much for being here. I am so grateful for all of you!