#TheAuthenticLife

#TheJapanLife

Subscriber Episode • • Keisha Jones • Season 1 • Episode 10

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In this special episode of The Authentic Life, I’m taking you on a journey with me—literally! I just returned from a 9-day trip to Japan, and whew… it was everything. From the peaceful energy of the temples to the bold street fashion in Tokyo, Japan gave me more than beautiful views—it gave me clarity, stillness, and unexpected growth.

Tune in as I share what I ate (spoiler alert: the sushi was chef’s kiss), how I reconnected with myself, and the life lessons I’m bringing back home. This episode is all about mindfulness, presence, and letting travel transform you from the inside out.

If you’ve been craving something new—an experience, a shift, or a gentle nudge to do something for you—this is your sign.

💬 Let’s talk presence, peace, and the power of stepping outside your comfort zone.
 🎧 Press play, and take this trip with me.

#TheAuthenticLife #JapanDiaries #EgoCheck #MindfulLiving

This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional advice, coaching, or therapy. Always seek the guidance of a qualified mental health or coaching professional for your specific needs.


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Speaker 1:

Hello, hello, hello. It's your girl, Keisha. Welcome back to the Authentic Life. And this is a special episode just for my subscribers put that I send to go along with the episodes. And this is a special unedited episode, so you're going to hear background noise, all the things. This is unedited. This is just a little episode about Japan through my eyes.

Speaker 1:

As you know, if you follow me on social media, I went to Japan back in March. I was there for eight days and I had an amazing time. I loved it, loved it, loved it right, and so this episode is a little different from our usual topics, but still very much a part of living the authentic life. Because what's more authentic than experiencing something brand new, right life? Because what's more authentic than experience and something brand new, right and let it, letting it shape who you are in the most beautiful ways. So I just got back from my trip in Japan and let me tell you it was an experience of a lifetime. It was nine days of exploration, growth and just living in the moment really gave me some time to do some self-reflection, to really think about where I am in my life, what I'm doing. You know, the things that matter, the things that don't matter, all of that stuff, and so I want to talk a little bit about that journey. Right, so long flight, 16 hour flights. But I've been to Asia before, I've been to Korea, and that flight was longer to Asia before I've been to Korea and that flight was longer. So this wasn't as bad. But you know, from the moment we started the trip and getting there, it's excitement, right, and curiosity, because I've been to Asia but I haven't been to Japan, and Japan is a place that everyone wants to go to. So I was super excited about exploring and super excited about what I was going to be able to see and, if you know me, shopping was definitely at the top of my list.

Speaker 1:

I had the pleasure of being able to do this as a co-lead for a study abroad trip, so it wasn't that I just went and was kind of finagling things and figuring stuff out. I had a very robust schedule that we were following and I'm very thankful for that robust schedule because I don't think I would have experienced and did as much as I did had I not participated. In that way. I was able to go to Tokyo, kyoto, hiroshima, miramai Island so many different I'm probably not pronouncing that word correctly but was able to experience so much, and the beauty of it all allowed me to be fully present, right, and I am so happy that I was fully present. It's like life slowed down a little bit and sped up at the same time.

Speaker 1:

And so I start by telling you about the culture. Right, it's rich, it's vibrant and beautiful. The people are incredibly welcoming. Right, you know, we had an amazing lead for our trip. He did so much to make sure that our trip was a great experience.

Speaker 1:

The hotels that we stayed at we stayed at three different hotels based off of the varying places that we went, and they were all nice. We ate well, we did all the things, and when I say we ate well, oh, my goodness, so much food. Um, I ate so much rice and I had so many desserts. Like desserts everywhere, everywhere I look, there was some amazing desserts, amazing desserts. But it really had me embracing hashtag the authentic life while I was there. Right, like, really embracing the culture and really, you know, as we go to the shrines and the temples, they're all breathtaking, they're so serene, it's that sense of peace and stillness and just kind of letting you be yourself. Right, and it's a time for you to do some reflection and really take time to think about where you are in your life and the space that you are in in your life. To think about where you are in your life and the space that you are in in your life and I just had so many great experiences. I participated in a traditional tea ceremony where I was able to dress in traditional wear, went in a kimono and have that experience and go through that process Very educational and, at the same time, really putting you in a place to better understand a culture and better understand the people of that culture. So thoroughly enjoy that.

Speaker 1:

I took a calligraphy class and really learned how to write a few words in calligraphy, most importantly, my name. How to write my name in calligraphy, most importantly, my name. How to write my name in calligraphy calligraphy. So that was amazing and special and all the things and you know I people talk about. You know what your experience is going to be like when you go to varying countries and things like that. But the thing that hit me the most was the kindness of strangers, right In a place where I didn't necessarily speak the language you know, people still went out of their way to help me feel comfortable, to make sure that I still felt connected and was able to do the thing shopping, all the things.

Speaker 1:

I had a gentleman stop me in the train station when we were in Hiroshima. He pulled out a big map of the world and was like point to where you are from on the map. And you know he talked about that. He had been there for a while and he was an older gentleman. So he spoke a little bit of English, not a lot of English, but enough for us to kind of have a conversation. And just being able to have that experience with someone is like he was born. I was born in 1934. And to think about, you know what happened in that area during that time when he was a young person. So some great experiences in that space being able to see the dress of the young people right, they are on point with their fashion and so really being able to see that and experience that and be able to experience the livelihood of a place like Tokyo but the serenity of a place like Kyoto, and then the education that comes with going to Hiroshima and really having an understanding of the atomic bomb and what occurred during that time, and so I just can't express how great of a trip that was.

Speaker 1:

I I rode the bullet train um multiple times. I was able to ride the bullet train. I took a ferry um to one of the islands to see shrines and things like that, where there are deer that are actually walking around and will come up to you and buy, eat your clothes, eat your paper if you got paper your hand they're wild deer and they will come for you. So it was an amazing experience. If you know me, I did some shopping. I did a lot of shopping in Tokyo. I did a little bit in Kyoto, but most of my shopping was in Tokyo. But I had an amazing time. There are so many things that I could talk about as it relates to that trip, but I can tell you that it was a great experience.

Speaker 1:

I recommend that people go to Asia and experience that culture and experience the differences. But when I think about hashtag, the authentic life and the ability to begin to embrace, you know that clarity, living life boldly and unapologetically. I saw a lot of that when I thought, when I think about the fashion and the street style of a lot of the young people in um Japan. It really, it really does give you that inspiration for living life boldly and unapologetically, because that's what it's about, right, showing up as your authentic self even when the world feels different around you. So if I think about you know, my takeaway from this trip is travel with an open heart and an open mind. Let the beauty of different cultures teach you about yourself and don't be afraid to lean into new experiences. It might just show you parts of yourself you're waiting to discover. And if you've been thinking about taking a dream trip or stepping out of your comfort zone in some way, consider this as your sign to go to explore, to experience and, most importantly, to grow. I and really I can say that I cannot say that the culture and all of that put me in a position of growth, but what I can say is that the serenity and the peace and bustle of everyday life and really be able to explore something new, something different, and really embrace that and enjoy that.

Speaker 1:

And I think my favorite parts of this trip was the tea ceremony, the calligraphy course and the and the sweets oh my God, they had these. Um, app, candy, apple, strawberry things Amazing. The street food Amazing. Um, I ate things that I will never eat again, but I'm I'm willing to try it and say, yes, that's not for me, I'm not going to eat it. I had matcha ice cream, so many things. I had this puff I don't know what it was. I had this fried apple pie thing I don't know what it was, but it was something about. It was desserts. Everywhere you went, there was some kind of a beautiful dessert. It was so pretty that you had to buy it and eat it. Right.

Speaker 1:

Also probably walked over a hundred thousand steps while I was there during those days. We walked a lot. We rode a lot of subways and a lot of. We rode a lot of trains in the subway, we rode the bullet train, we rode the bus. We did all modes and methods of transportation that you can think about. There. Their Ubers are taxi, so you can use the Uber app, but it's going to send you a taxi. They do that so that taxi drivers are not losing income because of, or drivers do not ride the train at eight o'clock or nine o'clock in the morning. That is the most, that's the busiest time during the week, and so you are stuck on a train, packed in the train like a can of sardines, and when I when they ready to get off. Whether you can move, not move, you ready to get off, or whatever the case may be, they are pushing you off that train. So don't, if you go to Japan, do not ride the train early in the morning because it is very hectic early in the morning. But overall I had an amazing experience and truly and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Speaker 1:

I know I'm not going into great detail and this is going to be a very short episode, but I did want to talk a little bit. I hope you enjoyed following my journey on social media. If you were on LinkedIn or other spaces, you saw I posted a lot of pictures. I went to Tokyo Disney, so that was another highlight. I did go to Tokyo Disney.

Speaker 1:

I will say Tokyo Disney is it cost me $40 to get into Tokyo Disney? Now think about Disney World in the United States. You're not paying $40 to get in. $40 to get into Tokyo Disney. Now think about Disney World in the United States. You're not paying $40 to get in. $40 is not getting you nowhere. $40 might buy you a meal, but it's not getting you in a door. So very inexpensive to go to Tokyo Disney, and it is. Tokyo Disney is beautiful. I mean it is beautiful, so beautiful.

Speaker 1:

So if you ever are able to make it to Japan, it is definitely worth a trip. Get your international driver's license so that you can do the Mario karts and all the things. There are so many experiences that are that you can do that you cannot experience in the United States. So, as I mentioned, I posted a lot of photos on Instagram and LinkedIn. There's still a lot of photos that I really hadn't been able to post. I still haven't really unpacked from that trip, but that is all I have to share with you all trip, but that is all I have to share with you all. I want to give you all a special little inside insider view about my trip and kind of what I experienced. But until next time, stay true to yourself and keep shining peace, love and blessings. Your girl, keisha.

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Keisha Jones

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