While watching this video, something revealed itself to me.

I find Japanese trains very relaxing somehow. This seems odd. Almost an oxymoron. How can the hustle and bustle of a super busy, very cramped train relax ME, of all people?
I realize what it is. The same thing I love about Japan in general is what makes the fast pace of trains strangely comforting. Organization. It might seem like chaos to some – people rushing to and from various destinations, the speed of everything. But every moment is ritualized and planned meticulously.

It isn’t the pace of things that bothers me, although I do personally prefer to move slowly. It’s the unknown that’s upsetting. The chance something could go wrong and I would get swept up in commotion.

The orderliness of how trains are run, how stations are set up, how each person scrambling about actually knows exactly what’s going on – it all makes my heart happy and gives me a sense of peace.

Hubby took a picture of me taking a picture of the train – April 2015

The fact that I just wrote a blog post about how I love trains is hilariously ironic… for reasons I may explain at a later date. For now, just laugh with me without knowing why.