Niijima revisited

So I doubt that anyone ever reads this blog anymore because I have not posted anything in over a year, but I am going to write my thoughts in it regardless.

Niijima time around next

This past week has been one of the best in my short life. I decided to revisit a place that once made me exuberantly happy. I had recommended this place to some of my friends for Golden Week (April 28th-May 5th), as I had an amazing Golden Week there three years ago. And wished them have a good time. I hesitated to join them because I was afraid of destroying the image I had created in my head of this sacred place of mine. I was afraid the second time around wouldn't be as amazing and this magically place would be no more. But in last minute my friend convinced me to join him with utterly cute puppy eyes, and I gave in. I mean why not, I had nothing else to do. The week before leaving, I kept recalling all the amazing nights I had with my friends three years ago, while gradually exciting myself deeper and deeper into anticipation. I remembered the green cliffs, blue waters, white sand, hot salty waters of onsen, smelly fish, green glass, rusty bikes, juicy bbq, thirst quenching beer, sweet sun, and amazing people. Niijima has it all. It has it down. It has it right.

Upon the night of departure in Tokyo, at Hamamatsucho, I could see the anticipation in my friends eyes. I think they could see the excitement and joy in mine. The adventure began. Our ferry left the port at 11 pm. Although the winds weren't the warmest, we soon put on an extra coat made of beer. Unlike the first time, three years ago, this time we all got some kind of sleep and woke up sober and hangover free! This made getting to the camp a lot easier. We threw all our luggage and two buff men into a taxi and sent them on their way. The rest of us meandered our way through the village and out the other side arriving at the camp about an hour later. After a bit of a struggle we finally decided upon a proper camp site. It was this decision that was so important for me. Before coming to the island, I made a decision to do my own thing once I got there. I really enjoy the company of all the people I went with, but I wanted to not be tied down to anyone. I rented a surf board and embraced the lifestyle. It was easy. It felt natural. Not the surfing part, but the lifestyle part. Before I never understood it, but now I think I've gotten a taste. I came to the island to do my own thing, and that is exactly what I did. Everyone that I met and talked to interested me. I wanted to have conversations with people. I would like to think that within the past three years I have matured, and that my Japanese and social skills have improved. Talking was easy.

There was one day out in the waves that I spent the entire day trying. I got rocked so many times. But I kept trying. I figured out how to sit and paddle and get beyond the break, which weren't always small, with a foam board in tow. I caught a few and stood up on a few. It was those moments of bliss while standing on the wave that made me, every time I got destroyed by the others, not turn around and return to the beach in retreat. But instead, return to the ocean, hoping that I could catch one more. Every moment that I was attached to the board was blissful. I was in the moment. While sitting on the board, feeling the waves pass underneath me, I started to understand. I was out there from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. My lips pruned. My face and hands and feet blackened. My hair tangled. Upon getting out of the water, my nose because a faucet. Non-stop leakage of the sea for an hour. That night after an onsen and a beer or two, I was the definition of happy. Happy isn't even the right word... I was blissful, elated, blessed. Intoxicated with bliss. I felt like light was bursting from every inch of my body. Like nothing and no one could bring me down. I wanted everyone to feel was I was feeling in the moment. It was the most wonderful feeling. That night is up there on a list of most amazing nights in my life.

I wasn't sad to leave Niijima. Instead I was grateful that it happened. That I experienced such a beautiful place, and beautiful people and that it wasn't some place that I exaggerated in my mind. My memories of Niijima were accurate. Actually my memories of Niijima didn't live up to what I experienced the second time.

Niijima is a special place. I will go back again.