The Story of nomadic artisan
January 4th, 2014, Ayumi was at Narita Airport with both anticipation and restlessness on her face, standing awkwardly with her brand-new backpack and sub bag. That day, she still had no idea that she would in fact be traveling for the next 5 years of her life before ever seeing Japan again.
She has travelled 45 countries and regions, seen 171 cities.
Everyday revealed a series of wonders and excitements, the more she travels into the unknown, the more she desires to become known. Yet she can’t remember how many hard goodbyes she has repeated as she drifted away toward the next new town. She always had to start alone and as a perfect stranger in every circumstance, though it had become her ordinary life before she realized it. Literally she caught a wanderlust, she was living nomadic while losing the reason to return to Japan, a place she once called home.
It was October 2017 when she arrived in Rwanda, as the 41st country of her world travel for no particular reason, just the same as always. Her first taste of real Africa however, far exceeded her assumptions. She hadn’t expected to be startled anymore by new places, but she could not hide the invigoration and her wanderlust began to stir.
One day she visited a gallery in Kigali city, a tiny remnant of cloth caught her eye which was pasted on a painting. The young artist responsible handed her a note which took her to a market at the edge of the town. She was welcomed by a myriad of colorful African fabrics known as Kitenge. A corner of the vast market was stacked to the limits with vibrant fabrics, she was instantly captivated by bold colors with patterns she has never seen or conceived. Day after day she did nothing but look around at the unfamiliar yet unique designs. “I may want to do something with this” says an inner voice of hers, it was faint yet remained unshakable.
After Rwanda, she travelled to Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, she was mesmerized by the unknown land of Africa more than ever. People are just being themselves, refined urbanity and unrefined vibrant energy coexist, life lives in music and is illuminated by the light of the sun and blueness of the sky. The people, the culture, the climate and nature, the living, everything seems fresh and refreshing to her. Above it all, it felt comfortable and a place she could just be herself. “I will surely return here!”
She has been wandering this planet for 5 years, new land to new land, not knowing where to reach and what to become, but this was the moment when she felt she doesn't need to look for new place anymore. And for the first time, she came to realize that this is the end of her journey, for what is home - she no longer defines home by conventional means, but a place you feel found.
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One year later, October 2018, she was standing at Nairobi airport with the worn-out backpack, the tired sub bag and, a brand-new sewing machine. She was ready to begin a new journey, the chapter two.