Like the title says… I’m in way over my head but I’ve got to figure a way to keep chugging along… I won a 6 month fellowship after I got my Masters this past June where I get to travel through 6 countries in SEA after starting with a month in Japan. I’m day 2 in Japan and I’m so overwhelmed and my issues with my back and leg is making things even harder. 2 days! Like come on!
Anyone who has traveled with disabilities/limitations/while fat have any good tips for keeping morale up while traversing in a place you don’t have any idea what you are doing and seems like not as friendly as you read due to what you think maybe your identities/appearance/abilities?
Im 39 (went back to uni during pandemic), disabled (nerve damage in right leg, chronic pain from a bad surgery and balance issues when I walk too far (like after 10-15 minutes my right foot gives out) so I am a slow walker and fatter than average folks.
I’m very scared I’ll not make it through my whole trip due to my physical limitations. I have a carry-on Ospry bookbag that unfolds into a roller bag and a medium size shoulder bag. I repacked so many times but the weight of the secondary shoulder bag is too much on my back. I havent used the Ospy as a bookbag whatsoever because I know it’d not going to work so I’ve just been rolling it around. The shoulder bag has been obnoxious the whole time as I can’t lay it on of the osprey without it flipping over. I’ve tried repacking over and over and downsizing, I left a pair of Van’s and my travel pillow at a hostel freebie pile but I know I can’t get clothes to fit me here and my medications take a large portion of my personal bag so I can’t get rid of those either.
I’m feeling down and pessimistic about accepting the fellowship knowing I won’t be able to do all the travel things the younger able bodies postgrads can.
Also I made a fool of my self in Lawsons earlier today because I couldn’t figure out the self service machines and couldnt find any English option and the clerk seemed so annoyed to have to ring me up. I had multiple people comment randomly while staring directly at me and one business man pushed me hard when I was waiting for the train door to open. It wasn’t rush hour and there was more than enough room for him to go to the side of me but he pushed me and I almost fell over out of the train when the doors opened.
I want to survive this trip. I want to believe that I’m able to do this and it’s not a waste and I deserve to see the world too as this I’d the first time I’ve used a passport and left the US but dammit I’m sitting in my room sad I’m not out looking at temples and other cool shit right now but nursing my stupid back and repacking for the 8th time and scared I’m just going to piss off everyone around me.
3 comments
If you’re traveling between cities, don’t take luggage with you – have it forwarded by your hotel. It’s pretty cheap, you can organise it at the reception and it will be there within a day or two.
Don’t worry too much about making a fool out of yourself – yeah, some people are not going to be very helpful, or be annoyed at having to do stuff for the lost looking foreigner – but, well, that’s just the way it goes. A few “sumimasens” and “gomen nasai”s go a long way towards making people feel a bit more charitable towards you, in my experience. Also, don’t assume that people are talking about you – they might be, but they might not be. When you don’t understand what people are talking about around you, it can make you a bit paranoid – but at most you’re a curiosity, and more likely they’re not really interested in you at all and are talking about something else. It’s not like fat Americans in Tokyo are all that rare, just saying..
Don’t worry, things will definitely improve
Once you get the hang of local culture, train network, nearest subway lifts, peak hour rush, food ordering, things will get better
And Japan is probably a good entry point before doing SEA trips. infrastructure/public transport in Japan is first-rate, everywhere is clean and pleasant weather
Would suggest u book into a hostel instead and find some company. 2 days you’re probably overwhelmed since this is the first time for you.
I remember the first time i visited japan and was overwhelmed with my luggage and navigating Shinjuku to my hotel.
Go find a cafe and treat itself to some delicious parfait. You deserve it for being so courageous. 🙂