Travels With Matt Blog

Planning the Next Trip Before This One Ends

It starts quietly.

Not with a plan, not with a checklist, not even with intention.

Just a thought.

You’re still in Japan. Still walking the streets, still hearing the sounds, still living inside the experience you spent months waiting for. But somewhere along the way—usually toward the end—it slips in.

When can I come back?

You don’t say it out loud at first. You almost ignore it. Because thinking about coming back means admitting something you’re not ready to face yet.

This trip is ending.

The 10-Minute Walk Back to the Hotel in Japan

It never sounds like much when you say it out loud.

A 10-minute walk back to the hotel.

On paper, it’s just the end of the night. The part where nothing is really happening anymore. The plans are done, the tours are over, the reservations are checked off.

The Last Night Before Leaving Japan

There’s a different kind of feeling that settles in on your last night in Japan.

It’s not the excitement of arrival. It’s not the curiosity of exploring somewhere new.

It’s something quieter, heavier.

It’s the realization that the trip is over.

The Tour That Surprised Me the Most

Some experiences look simple when you book them.

A short train ride. A walk through a small town. A hike up a mountain. Back by the afternoon.

That’s what this one looked like.

This Isn’t a Checklist—It’s Your Trip

There’s a version of travel that looks good on paper.

Every hour accounted for. Every “must-see” pinned. Every popular spot squeezed into a schedule that barely leaves room to breathe. It feels productive. It feels efficient.

It also misses the point entirely.

The First Time I Felt Like I Belonged in Japan

There’s a point on some trips when something shifts. You stop feeling like a visitor.

You stop checking maps every few minutes. You stop worrying about whether you’re doing things “right.”

And suddenly, you just start moving through the day like everyone else.

That moment happened for me in Osaka.

The First Konbini Run in Japan

Every trip to Japan begins with a small ritual.

It doesn’t involve a famous temple or a well-known landmark.

It starts at a konbini, convenience store.

The First Train Ride After Landing in Tokyo

There’s a moment at the start of every trip to Japan when it suddenly feels real.

For me, that moment doesn’t happen at the airport.

It happens at the train station.

The Dream of Living Somewhere You Don’t Need a Car

Living in Florida means accepting one simple reality: you need a car. And it’s something that is almost always a major pain on a weekly basis.

I dream about about living in a place that would not require a car just to make it down the street.

What 20,000 Steps a Day Does to Your Mind in Japan

One thing I didn’t fully understand before traveling to Japan was just how much walking I would do.

You hear people say it all the time. Bring comfortable shoes. You’ll walk more than you think. But it doesn’t really register until you’re there, moving through the cities day after day, watching the step count climb higher than it ever does at home.

Twenty thousand steps becomes normal.

And strangely enough, it never really feels like a burden.

Do You Need to Know Japanese to Travel to Japan?

As you prepare to travel to Japan, you are probably wondering how much Japanese you will need to know to make it comfortably around the country? The answer may surprise you as you pack that Japanese dictionary and download some lessons while packing your bag.

A City That Made Me Miss Japan (For a Moment)

I didn’t expect to miss Japan while standing in the middle of Dublin, but it was fun experience.