Celebrating 4 Years of Sobriety in Tokyo

As the month of June comes to a close I cannot help but feel a wealth of gratitude for the many celebratory moments I had within it. June is an exciting month in my family; both my mother and father in law have June birthdays, my husband and I were legally married in June and I have my sobriety birthday at the end of it.  I also finished teaching and am in the process of completing my coaching program. It is a month of endings and new beginnings that will continue on through to the fall when I move back to Canada and embark on a new career path.

Instagram Detox Update:

As I mentioned in my previous blog, I decided to delete my Instagram application for the month of June and I can attest to the fact that it certainly made in impact on me. Before I get into it though, I do have to admit two things: 

1. As a true addict I did slip up and go on Instagram a total of 4 times this past month. The first 3 times were simply to see a person's individual page. Each time the person had to do with a podcast that I was listening to or someone I knew who had a major life event that I wanted to see photos of. The fourth time however, I started off looking at one person's page and ended up falling down the rabbit hole, watching story after story and browsing through my feed. It was only abut 10 minutes in that I realized what I was doing and was able to shut it down. Wow. The power of social media! 
2. I ended up on Facebook a lot more frequently than I have ever been in the past. I think as a result of not having Instagram to scroll through. The reality for me is that the best way to do this kind of detox would be to remove all the social media apps that I use including Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. This might be a goal for me in the future.

Results:

I did not miss Instagram overall, and I did not miss taking photos of everything that I was doing. At first, I noticed myself going to take my phone out when I sat down for a delicious and aesthetically pleasing meal and then realizing, "Oh yeah, I'm not doing that anymore." It was actually quite freeing! I also read two books and listened to more podcasts fully without any distractions. I brought a camera with me to Tokyo and used it to take photos instead of juggling both my camera and my phone for Insta stories back and forth which is honestly, quite a hassle. 

On my trip to Tokyo something interesting happened that I now believe was a little nudge from the Universe to be more present. I dropped my phone on the first day there and the screen broke so that it was completely out of commission for the duration of my trip. I didn't have a working phone for 3 days and after getting past the anxiety of it all, I was totally free to explore the city with nothing to distract me. I ended up really enjoying having the time and freedom and I didn't get bored at all which is a feeling that seems to appear more frequently when I am using my phone.

Although I am looking forward to reloading Instagram soon, I have decided that I will take Social Media Breaks more frequently in order to recenter and find a bit of serenity in the middle of my week. I have to say that the degree of self comparison going on in my life this past month definitely decreased as a result of not scrolling through my Instagram feed every chance I had. I also did not miss posting photos myself. It was actually a great relief, I just simply enjoyed what I was doing and the company I was with.

My Sobriety Birthday

I celebrated 4 years of sobriety on June 24th and I wanted to treat myself to something special so I decided to do that in the best way I know how: travel. I booked a trip to Tokyo for three days and it did not disappoint, what an awesome city; I truly enjoyed my trip there and am glad that I went before leaving Korea. My flight and hotel cost roughly 320 dollars total and I had direct flights and a very cozy capsule room. The hotel that I stayed at was for women only and had a full Japanese sauna and a beautiful vanity room. I noticed that the overall bathroom experience in Tokyo is like no other. Even the public washrooms in the subway stations are constantly being cleaned and have Japanese toilets with built in seat warmers and bidets. I was thoroughly impressed!

I loved exploring Japan and eating ALL of the food! Japanese food is a deep love of mine, it takes a close second place to Thai food which is at the top of my list. I had some delicious sushi, ramen, soba and yakitori noodles. Even the convenience store food was great! Rather than describing everywhere that I went I think that a photo diary will give a better idea of my trip. So please enjoy!

Shinjuku Gyoen National Park: Tokyo's own Central Park (All photos above taken there, it was so serene and lush)

Tokyo Food: The best ramen I've ever had. Ordered from a vending machine in a tiny and dimly lit restaurant

Tokyo Food: Strawberry & Banana Chocolate Crepe

Tokyo Food: Tuna and Salmon Sashimi

Senso-ji Temple: Insanely busy on a Friday afternoon
(2 photos above taken there as well)

East Gate of the Imperial Palace

Funky Tree in Ueno Park

Toshogu Shrine in Ueno Park

Pagoda of Kan'ei-ji at Ueno Zoo

Sleepy kitty at cat cafe in Harajuku

Made a wish at the Toshogu Shrine

I came back to Seoul on June 23rd and on the 24th I was celebrated by my husband, parents (who sent me beautiful orchids) and some close friends at a vegan restaurant in Seoul. It was a beautiful day and I felt just how full my life is. 4 years ago, I never would have been able to imagine just how fun and fulfilling my life would be without drugs and alcohol. The relationships that I have in sobriety; the connections I have made and the person that I have become have manifested a wonderful life. I am truly grateful and I wouldn't want it any other way!