Google Maps

Written by Noor Hameed

He saw me staring down at my Google Maps intently and acknowledged my anxiety fairly quickly.

“Are you going the right way?”

I told him that I am trying to get to a cafe and that I’m not very confident in my navigation skills. I wasn’t even convinced that I had gotten on the right bus. He chuckled. 

This was my first solo “adventure.” It was my last day in Japan and with the rest of my dear caravan headed home, I decided to make at least one part of the trip my own. Stopping by the cafe came at the request of a friend, who not even three weeks earlier had visited the same cafe, and regretfully left without buying a beautiful matcha tea set.

I didn’t tell him all that though.

“Are you from Kyoto?”

He once more chuckled, politely letting me know that he was a tourist from Taiwan. I just about wanted to jump out the window.  There was hardly a reason for me to assume he was from Japan, because by this point in the trip, it was apparent that the locals are rarely so chatty on the bus. 

We got off at the same stop and went our separate ways. I had an almost eleven minute walk to get to the cafe and to my surprise, I realized very quickly that I had been in this area just last night. It was Gion District!

I reached the cafe and was met with a huge crowd waiting in line for matcha ice cream. My friend messaged me to head to the back of the cafe to view the ceramics. 

As I sent her pictures of each tea set so that she could make a selection, I couldn’t help but feel in awe of how special the circumstances were. I was talking to a friend across the world, retracing her exact steps, and connecting with pieces that were a testament of ancient customs that prevailed. 

An associate wrapped each piece with such care and respect. With a gift bag in hand, I stood outside the cafe, so grateful that I succeeded.

“You found it.”

I looked up and needed to pause to process what could have been a scene written for a movie. The familiar voice came from a fellow traveler who was not from Kyoto. 

The rest of the day was a dream, much like every day spent in Japan. However, I had a new tale to tell upon my return. A tale that I hope would bring a feeling of wholeness. And a love for adventure.