Choosing to Return

The cold wind still reaches deep into the body in winter.

Clear light. Pale blue skies — the kind that gently wake your eyes.

Japan received me like this.

Between shopping malls and familiar meals, there were also quiet moments — stepping into a shrine, pausing, breathing.

The country I returned to felt both modern and ancient, moving quickly and standing still at the same time.

For a long time, I kept my distance from this place.

I needed that space to return to "be."

Now I understand: distance can teach — and return can heal.

This time, I came back with no plan and no agenda.

My heart felt full, yet spacious.

There was room for joy, memory, and presence.

空即是色 — emptiness is not absence, but possibility.

As this new year begins, I find myself choosing to return — not out of obligation, but curiosity and affection.

I wish you a year that feels just as open.

Happy New Year.