It was so chilly in Japan. For the first time in my journey, I had to wear layers of clothing to stay warm. It felt like a typical winter in the United States.
I went to an open deer park in Nara, Japan. My friends petted and fed the wild deer there. I stood to the side. It wasn’t really my speed. I felt a mixture of fear and disgust: these animals looked rabid. On top of that, they would suddenly start fighting each other. One of the deer even ate my friend's whole bag of snacks, including the plastic bag!
There was an obvious appreciation and connection to religion in Japanese culture. In the middle of cities and suburbs, there would be Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples or figures—sometimes right beside each other. It was normal to see people stop by to practice their prayers or rituals on the way to wherever they were going, even with friends. I even saw a woman hug a tree and put her ear to the trunk.
