The Leaves Changed. I Didn’t.

I thought Hakone’s autumn would make me feel something. The leaves were on fire, the air sharp, and everyone else seemed to be having their moment—posing, soaking, smiling. I dipped into the onsen, hoping for that quiet reset people talk about. Instead, I just felt my own skin, too aware of my body in the steam, too aware of how far I was from home. I kept waiting for the view to fix me, for the ritual to mean something. But sometimes, you’re just a stranger in a beautiful place, watching the leaves fall, realizing you can’t soak loneliness away. #Travel #TravelConfessions #UnfilteredJapan