Traveling with a group is a big wake up call.

Sometimes, you have no idea that there's a better way of doing things, and sometimes, you know there is a better way, but you don't know how to get there.

I've been traveling for 6 months now. It's no secret that my travel is a little unorganized, ad hoc, and chaotic, but now I see all the reasons why.

It's the itinerary. I always thought not having one allowed me to take advantage of the best sights in the city. I didn't realize the value of bookings before I toured Japan with my friends. Despite having a larger group, the itinerary has us booking it through Japan. With the plan Karin put together, we're accomplishing an absurd amount of things in our time together. 3 days in, we've eaten insane meals, seen immaculate beauty, eeaten gross things, navigated massive metro stations, shopped our hearts out, and eaten some seriously crazy things. I'll have to write a whole other post about the meals we've had. For now, I just want you to know that I'm scarred.

There are also some tarvel changes I'm not used to.

I may have chased after trains before but never actually missed one. That is until the train from Sapporo to Asakawa. For record-keeping purposes, I want to add that I am on time on the platform but don't see the rest of the group. I flag down Cody, and both of us are standing at the train doors when he gets a call that the rest of the group might not make it. I'm trying to keep the atmosphere light and make a joke about just meeting everyone at the destination. Cody is not amused. Watching the doors close before me, I see my streak end. I'm having trouble getting used to the slower pace of travel. Other than moving around stations slower, I'm finding that boarding and deboarding 8 people and their luggage on any train, regrouping after crowded attractions, and even going to the bathroom on 6 well-hydrated people's schedules takes longer than my dehydrated bladder remembers.

I'm also not used to following people around. Apparently, when finding the exit in a crowded subway station in Japan's busiest station, it's better to follow someone rather than interject personal opinions about where to exit. My move-fast-and-figure-it-out-when-we-get-to-the-surface attitude is incompatible with Japan's gigantic stations or large groups. It also is something that people who know what they are doing may get annoyed at.

I knew it would be an adjustment traveling with my friends in a foreign country for the first time, but I didn't expect moments of pure frustration. When I'm solo, my personal bubble is easy to enforce. I get annoyed with some people sometimes, but I'm used to distancing myself and regrouping when I'm ready. Suddenly, my privacy is shared real estate, so it feels like there's nowhere to escape for a moment of solitude.

I'm learning to navigate travel and communicate my needs. While unexpected, I'm reminding myself that it's part of the adventure, and I have to just roll with the punches… and maybe sneak off for a solo stroll.

P.S. If my future wife is reading this, um I'm more pateint and better at travelnig with other people now.