5 years from today. 2024. I’ll be 45. A day in the life of me, imagined. A writing exercise in daydreaming about the future, as if I was writing it in the present.

-–

Wood and water. Kyoto.

Ah, Kyoto. You know spring’s arrived when you see the cherry blossoms blooming. The weather still chilly, but after months in tropical, humid and sticky-sweaty Bali, it’s a nice change to have some cold weather. Don’t get me wrong, I love Bali. But I also enjoy the change in seasons, even if forced on us artificially by travel.

We’re definitely in spring now. The grey skies are past. Just today, we got clear blue skies, and just the right temperature for our first ever hanami family picnic. It’s a lovely day to be out, especially here by the Kamo river bank. Looking at the numerous groups, everyone agrees on that. We bought some sushi rolls from the nearby Family Mart, and some delicious red bean mochi from the famous Demachi mochi bakery. A simple but beautiful picnic. 

The falcons are out in full force, circling above, keeping a keen eye for our food scraps. Otherwise, the kids and I hunt for tiny fish trapped in rock pools by the river. It’s great fun to be close to a piece of nature like that, even while we enjoy our material comforts. Floating above us, the cherry blossom flowers are like white clouds. It’s such a whimsical scene, yet poetic at the same time. And definitely the best way to enjoy spring in Kyoto.

Just a family on a mat. Flowers. Rice. Birds. Water. Sky.