In 19 days I set off for the Henro

Tomorrow at 2am I leave for a family trip to Japan and Manila! It isn’t the Henro yet, but I’ve already packed for the Henro, and planned for my first week of accommodations. I’m excited and nervous. I’ve never hiked carrying everything on my back before, and I always have a pang when I’m away from New York too long. But I’m also deeply excited. Traveling in Japan is always something I’ve enjoyed, and some of my best memories have come from doing stuff off the beaten path in this country that I feel some deep affinity with. I’ll have more reflections on what I’m up to right before the trail starts, but for now, I’m writing this entry mostly to make sure this app works. 😊 (Pictured: some last few scenes from New York. Where I’ll be missing most of fall!) Family vacation first. Then onto the hike!