THE WORLD AND THE WORLD'S PEOPLE

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Searching for the nearest Starbucks became a welcomed morning ritual when we were in Japan. Not only did it give me a much needed caffeinated boost after travelling all over this beautiful country, but also allowed us to explore corners of each city that we would probably have missed out on. Luckily, there was always one nearby. One hot Grande chai latte, arigato gozaimasu!

You may notice the man in the background watching me as we crossed the road, behaviour that wasn't uncommon throughout Japan. We were actually surprised at the lack of Westerners in Japan, even in Tokyo (heck, I'd move there in a second if I could!). Brad and I stood out like crazy here, with our blonde and red hair respectively. While some people, usually the very young or elderly, stood staring with their mouths gaping wide open at us (it was really very humorous), most took a quick peek when they thought we weren't looking (like the above). Everybody was so incredibly respectful and at no point did we feel uncomfortable or unwelcome, despite the massive language barrier, which of course is an integral part of the Japanese culture. Truth be told, we probably couldn't have stood out any more.

It really made me appreciate how multicultural Australia is, with almost every nation you can think of being represented here. It's a beautiful thing, really. I've never actually been fully aware of the extent of Australia's multiculturalism until we visited Japan, because here we grow up with people from all different walks of life. For us, it's just normal. While we were there, I kept thinking 'Hey, we could be Japanese', just as somebody here with a Japanese background is more than likely a true-blue Aussie. It makes me feel enriched and extremely privileged to have grown up in such a diverse nation, but also grateful to have experienced the refined Japanese culture, which I admit has deeply affected me since returning home.

That, to me, is the beauty of travel and experiencing the world and the world's people.