Day 11 – Shark Mode, Stair Sickness, and Lobster Revolt
March 18, 2025
🛒 Chaos at 7-Eleven, Mystery Meat, and Saying Goodbye
Saw my first truly unhinged homeless guy inside a 7-Eleven during breakfast. Very uncommon for Japan. Totally losing it. Everyone around was visibly uncomfortable—but me? Not even phased. I’m from Venice CA and this isn’t even close to the wildest homeless tweeker encounter I’ve had.
Breakfast highlight: a triangle rice ball with egg yolk and some kind of meat. Could’ve been pork. Whatever it was, it was delicious.
Two older Japanese buddies I had met a few times on the trail decided to head home. It is very typical for people to break the walk into sections and complete 1/4 at a time over a few years. They seemed rocked by this first section and ready to go home. I could see them glare at the homeless man as a sign they were ready to end the chaos and get back into their own bed ASAP.
⏳ Time Warps Differently on the Trail
When you're walking all day, doing just one activity, you start to notice how deeply your mood shifts throughout the day. A few hours in the morning cranky, a few hours mid-day cursing every uphill, and then—surprise—you’re happy again by sunset. It’s like a full season of feelings in a single day.
Normally, your time gets sliced up by errands, texts, chores. But out here? You live in emotional hours. I wonder how much of my mood back home is based on what is actually happening vs the natural ebb and flow of my emotions throughout the day. Thats the big thought of the day.
🦈 Shark Headspace, Rage Trails, and the Power of Swearing
Today was hard. Really hard.
So I’m grateful I was alone. Because when it got steep, when my back ached and my feet felt like two bricks taped to stumps, I could scream into the forest:
“FUCK THIS.”
“Give me your best fucking shot, motherfucker!”
“Is that ALL YOU GOT, HILL?!”
It’s cathartic. It’s primal. It’s healing. And yes—I should’ve taken a rest day. I am just happy I was alone to be a weird freak and scream it out.
🌊 First Glimpse of the Coast
I finally hit the coastal trail, and it’s stunning—genuinely breathtaking. Every 20–30 minutes I catch a perfect ocean view. Deep blue. Sharp cliffs. Just sun and water and me, standing there grinning like a sleep-deprived sea witch. I’ve heard this is the prettiest part of the coastal stretch. After this, it’s busier roads down to the Cape.
But today? Today is golden.
🧠 Trail Meditation and the Disappearing Pain
I got very dizzy climbing some stairs to my room today. I always forget: after long walks, I feel weirdly sick and hollow for a couple hours. Like I’ve been wrung out like a wet towel. Like my blood is in shock that I stoped moving after 10 hours.
And to make it worse, I gave all my snack food away to my Swiss friend earlier. Mistake. Dinner was still two hours away. Oops.
But—silver lining—I got the bath all to myself. It felt like a private onsen-meets-hot tub situation. Afterward? My legs worked again. Like, fully. It was a miracle. I floated down the stairs.
✅ Afternoon Wins: Laundry, Wi-Fi, Meditation, Life Planning
I really got my life together this afternoon.
Soaked in a tub
Meditated on pain and impermanence
Did laundry
Caught up on IG
Planned a few upcoming stays
Felt like a functioning adult again
During meditation, I thought about how pain feels infinite when you're in it—but vanishes afterward. There were moments today where I was in so much discomfort I thought I’d collapse. But now? Sitting here smiling, full from dinner, watching the ocean… it’s like the pain blurred out of focus. We rarely remember it clearly. It’s gone once it’s gone.
🦞 Lobster Drama and the Crispy Beef of Dreams
Dinner was… dramatic.
The waitress brought out a live Lobster to show the couple next to me before he was cooked. The lobster leapt from the prep area to the floor. Twice. Flopping around, determined to live. The whole dining room gasped, then laughed, then sort of quietly rooted for him. I am happy everyone had a good sense of humor about it since the Japanese often don’t joke around about their fancy meals.
Meanwhile, my crispy beef? Divine. Totally different from anything I’ve eaten so far. Crunchy, tender, perfectly seasoned—this was restaurant-level fancy.
🛌 The Final Boss: Nighttime Trip Planning
And then… the nightly mental battle: trip planning.
I stared at my phone. I got stuck. Every option seemed bad or expensive or sold out. I sat in my bed doing the digital equivalent of screaming into a pillow.
Tomorrow will figure itself out… hopefully.
