Masuda Miri's Travel Essay Volume 2

Masuda Miri is well known in Korea through the manga series "Su-chan," which depicts the worries and daily lives of women in their 30s with sincerity and candid wit.
Although well known as a cartoonist and essayist, Masuda Miri is also a travel expert who has already published numerous travel essays.
What was Masuda Miri's first trip, and a solo trip at that, like?
This time, Book Forest's new Masuda Miri travel essay set includes two volumes: "I Went on a Solo Trip," a monthly travelogue of the author's solo trips to Japan, and "Travel Diaries from Around the World," which contains all of the author's travel diaries from all over the world.

We have no choice but to trust the Trevi Fountain!
My coin went into the fountain (I think it did).
So I was a little excited throughout the trip.
When I return to Japan, I might suddenly get a confession.

But the love did not come true.
But I am dazzled by the me who threw two without hesitation back then.

--- p.14 From "Travel Diary from Around the World"

When I see a large animal, it's natural for me to feel small.
I don't think it's just a matter of size.
There are many different animals living on Earth, and on a cosmic scale, humans and reindeer are like poppy seeds… … .
'I, such a small being, live my life crying and laughing, treating my one and only life as a momentous event.'
I had this thought while looking at the reindeer.
--- p.82 From "Travel Diary from Around the World"

I think I should have spent my New Year's money freely now.
Now that I'm over 50, I have fewer things I want.
Even when I see nice clothes, I think, 'Where am I going to wear this?'
No, but you only live once.
It's nice to wear nice clothes and take a walk around the neighborhood.
--- p.215 From "Travel Diary from Around the World"

The winter morning I was born.
Father and mother could never have imagined it.
Who would have thought that the tiny newborn baby in front of me would be celebrating his forty-second birthday on the streets of faraway Copenhagen?
“I hope you are doing well and in good health.”
It was a night in Copenhagen when I wanted to go tell my young parents this.
--- p.219 From "Travel Diary from Around the World"

I saw several people shoveling snow.
Grocery shopping.
Cooking, cleaning, and laundry.
There, 'shoveling snow' is a natural part of life here.
Some lives never involve shoveling snow, while others experience it thousands of times.
It varies depending on where you live.
--- p.27 From "I Went on a Trip"

Why is it embarrassing to be alone? It's a shame that comes from the fear that someone might think it's pitiful to have no one to travel such a scenic mountain with.
Some people are just passing travelers, and even if you think 'poor' of a complete stranger, you will never meet them again.
But I pretend to be someone who likes cameras or someone who came to report on something for work and take notes… … .
On the other hand, there is a part of me that thinks this is okay.
It feels like a lie to be able to act confidently anytime, anywhere.
--- p.210 From "I Went on a Trip"

The school route used by those students was truly beautiful.
I take it for granted that I can see the beautiful Nagara River and the steep mountains every morning and evening.
When I grow up, I will suddenly recall this scenery and feel nostalgic.
Someone who boasts about attending a prestigious, wealthy school feels more like a winner than someone who says the scenery on their way to school is beautiful.

--- p.248 From "I Went on a Trip"