Six days remaining

First of all - camera update. Fortunately the problem was the sensor which was dirty. I was very relieved when I read on the internet that this is a typical symptome of dust on the sensor. Everything's fine now after compressed air treatment!

It's Monday today. I'm finishing all the last-minute preparations like immigration forms filling (even though I'm eligible for visa-free entry to Japan), getting AirTags prepared and - my absolutely most hated: packing.

I'm the worst at packing for trips. No matter how early I start, there's always something I forget. It's not mission-critical things, but things I'd prefer to have regardless. Last week I forgot to take dress shoes to my friends' wedding, which forced me to improvise (I'm sure everybody loved my fashion choice of wearing New Balance blue running shoes). Two weeks ago I was in Netherlands and forgot to take my favorite Vancouver cap from my other friends' house I stayed for a night before the flight. So as you can tell already, I'm chaotically forgetting small, but annoying-to-forget stuff.

This time I'm changing my strategy slightly. I'm leaving most of my clothes at home and will buy whatever I'll need for the rest of the vacation in Japan. Same with film for my camera - I'm not taking any film rolls with me, I'll just buy everything there and develop it before leaving. My main luggage will be mostly empty, but my backpack will be filled with everything I need for the flight (passport, clothes for the next day, toothbrush + toothpaste, cameras, Steam Deck, ebook reader, small electronics like chargers, powerbanks etc.). Maybe this time if I have less to pack I'll be more likely to actually remember about those important ones. Looking back at this list though, maybe I should rethink some of those choices...

I was pleasantly surprised with how much you can do with your phone as a tourist in Japan. IC cards can be added to the wallet app (iPhone users only if I remember correctly), entry/immigration documents, boarding passes, navigation, prepaid card apps, translating apps - all in your phone, not too shabby!

Let's see what I'll leave at home this time around ;_;