The real world.
I know. You know. And we all know – we can’t live like this forever. I’m still afraid of covid, but it’s time to go out a little bit and interact with the real world. For the first time in more than two years, I fixed my road bike and went out for cycling travel. It5 was a cozy and nice day for going out.
“Don’t think or judge, just listen.”
― Sarah Dessen, Just Listen
Is covid over? I’m not sure – at least that’s the global consensus and what our world leaders want us to believe. For the past two years, especially after I got covid and lost my father, I’ve been paranoid about the virus. Thanks to WFH, I spent much of my time at home and built my own world in it. I only interacted with a select few friends both at home and abroad. Online interactions became my default go-to whenever I want to interact with my friends and the world.
Things, however, are about to change – nothing stays the same forever. Starting in April, my entire team will be working for a new client who will require us to spend a month in the office to get accustomed to their hybrid working style.
Even though we’ll be allowed to work from home at least three days a week, we can’t spend our entire life here at home. And either way, I have to embrace it no matter what.
Time to go out:
Before covid, I used to be an outgoing person. Every weekend, I went out to Tokyo/Yokohama to join some meetup events to make new friends. For those who don’t know what Meetup is, it’s an app that allows organizers to host offline events elsewhere. If you’re living in a big city, there’s a high chance you can find all sorts of events.
All thanks to the friendship I built pre-covid, there are some friends who are willing to go out with me. Starting March, I started to interact with the real world step by step. There’s no need to rush.
Photographing with Pixel:
Because I spent much of my time at home for the past two years, I almost lost my passion for photography. Photograph whatever comes into my eyes and take them, editing them and sharing them with the world through my blog/Instagram. For me, photography is a very personal experience that allows me to express who I am as well as my values through a lens.
For this month, I didn’t bring my Canon DSLR but Pixel 4a with Moment lenses. Since Google Pixel’s photographic capabilities all thanks to its software power reached one of the most industry-acclaimed reputations, it was such a joy to bring my photographic passion back and explore the world again.
The photographs I took this time are all shotted with my three-year-old Pixel 4a. Despite its a little-outdated hardware, the Google-engineered device works pretty well even in 2023.
Shake Shack:
I have a burger friend, who loves burgers. Originally from Australia, he and his family have been living in Japan on and off. When I hit rock bottom in the summer of 2021, they thankfully came to my father’s funeral. It was the best thing that happened at my worst.
Ever since then, we started to go out sometimes. He invited me to go out to grab some burgers in our city. Yokohama. And our go-to place is usually Shake Shake.
In mid-March, when it rained, we went to the burger shop and catch up with each other. It was a nice and cozy day.
Walk in woods:
Located in my neighborhood, I somehow didn’t really have any chance to visit this place. And it was worth my visit.
The gentle breeze carried the scent of the forest as it whispered through the trees, while the crystal-clear river flows peacefully nearby, creating a sense of serene tranquility.
It was a unique place where time seemed to slow down, allowing me to truly reflect on myself. Even though I typically spend most of my time interacting with computers, it was a welcome change to enjoy a nice and peaceful day.
Cycling road:
For the first time in more than two years, I spent 20,000 JPY to fix my road bike’s flat tires. And It was worth the money spent.
Listening to my favorite music with Nothing Ear(1), I traveled halfway through Kanagawa, heading north. And then, I made a U-turn and traveled all the way to Enocshima island in the south.
What a beautiful and refreshing day it was. Also, I wished I could fix the bike earlier.
Afterthoughts:
It’s been quite some time since I last rode my road bike. And it was such a refreshing experience to feel the wind and the fresh air. I was actually planning to travel to my prefecture again with my bike again this weekend, but unfortunately, it rains today. So, I have to stay home as usual and watch Netflix and chill.
See you soon!