Hello friends, Dogentricks.com here. I am, once again, sitting in Starbucks, surrounded by Japanese people.

Today, I would like to talk about travel and the joys of freedom.

My name is Dogentricks.com, and I live alone. I am a foreigner in the countryside of Japan. I live in a town where everyone has either already graduated from college, or hasn’t finished high school. There are next to no people in this town between 18 and 25 years old. Everyday I am surrounded by people difficult to befriend. My closest friend, literally and figuratively speaking, lives an hour and a half from me, one way, by motorcycle. It is near impossible for me to ‘hang out’ Monday through Friday.

Let’s create a hypothetical situation. I have plans to hang out with a friend on Saturday, but on Thursday night he/she cancels. Because the average Japanese person is very busy, there is little possibility to make plans with someone else under such short notice. Thus, 4 days of solitude turns into 10, and 10 days of solitude is quite long.

There is no one for me to call—my family is sleeping or at work during my waking hours. Japanese people typically don’t use their cell phones to ‘call’ people, and even if they did, it would be beyond akward, and expensive, calling my friends just ‘to chat.’

What all this means is that I spend the majority of my time alone.

And I absolutely love it.

I have no homework or take home work. I have absolutely no obligations once my work finishes at 4:00 everyday. From that time until 11:00 PM everyday, I am a free man, and free in ways that I have never felt before. I live without even friends to distract from my sense of release. This is a radical change of lifestyle and a great opportunity for me to grow at my own pace.

Last weekend, I hopped on my bike with no more than a change of clothes, and drove for 5 hours straight. There was no destination, no one waiting for me at any point along the way, and no one waiting for me to get back. I drove from the driveway of my apartment to the shores of Fukuoka, sat alone on the beach, and ate a delicious bowl of Yakisoba. After finishing, I hopped back on my bike, and drove straight to Nagasaki. There, I stayed the night at a random hotel and soaked my sore muscles in the hot springs baths. The next morning, I got on my bike and road right back to Oita.

It was my first time traveling alone, without limitations or a plan of any kind, and it was a truly liberating experience. I can do this any day of the week, and no one will say anything about it. I can come home from work and exercise for 3 hours straight, grab some food at the local ramen shop, then write for 3 hours. There are no restrictions in my life. There is nothing to hold me back. There is nothing to keep me from doing exactly what I want to do, every minute of everyday. I am living in opportunity.

I am Dogentricks.com, and this is my life.