Year of the Fire Horse

I won’t pretend that I put any faith in astrology, be it traditional Western or Chinese. But today marks the start of the “Year of the Fire Horse.” And as this is said to be a good year for action, adventure, taking risks, and pursuing big dreams, I thought it would make a good title for my final blog entry before my big adventure starts.

My route has been decided and planned in detail. My gear is complete and packed, and of course Japan also has shops aplenty. I’ve leveled up my physical condition, where it should be ready to take some punishment. I think the same can be said for both my mind and heart, although those are always more difficult to manage...

The tickets are booked, as are the first hotel and Henro House. Next week I will be on a plane to Osaka and—after a day or two of dealing with the unavoidable jet lag and acclimating to the time zone—I will make my way to Tokushima, to the starting point of the Henro pilgrimage: Ryozen-ji.

 

I will acquire the Henro attire and stamp book. After that, I will be on the move and focused on hiking from temple to temple. I am still unsure how frequently I will be able to update this blog, but I will at least try to give a weekly update on my progress.

This will also be the last blog post for which I will send out an email notification, so if you want to keep up with my adventures, please add this blog to your reading list or browser favorites. As of this post, I will also open up the possibility for reactions (see the text block below), so you can cheer me on or ask me questions. I won’t be able to manage moderation, so please keep it clean.

I’m excited, nervous, and mildly scared, but I’m also confident that everything will work out in the end.

Giddy up, Fire Horse! Ganbare, Henro!

Ganbarimasu / 頑張ります