“You can learn how to use your spare time more effectively if you set your mind to it.” How I got better at planning my trips. / Thus Spoke Hijiki Isoflavone

Today’s theme is “otakus and planning.” The reader who sent me this submission mentioned that they often don’t know what to do during those brief pockets of time before or after events and feel like they aren’t using their time wisely enough. So, what do other people usually do?

I’m sure the answer will vary from person to person; some may have traveled a long way to their destination and want to squeeze in as much touristy stuff as possible during their spare time, while others might be content with simply seeing their oshis or attending whatever convention they came for. Then there are the foodies, who might make it their mission to sample all the local delicacies.

I, too, once struggled with planning my schedule accordingly, mostly because I’m bad at estimating how much time I actually need to get from point A to point B and doing the things I want to do.

Thankfully, I’m much more adventurous nowadays. It might have to do with age, but now that I’m a little older, I’ve finally realized that traveling is way more fun if I eat the local delicacies when visiting different prefectures for stageplays or other events. After all, events are a cause for celebration for us otakus—it would be a shame if I didn’t at least have something good to eat.

Of course, food isn’t the only thing that can make your trip better. Instead of making the event you’re attending the sole highlight of your travels, you can always add value by doing other things.

It’s easy to visit tourist spots, eat famous foods, or throw a little celebration when you’re with friends. If you’re traveling solo, though, it’s entirely on you to fulfill your desires and accomplish your goals.

Here’s my advice: try to decide on one or two things you want to achieve besides the main event of your trip. Once you’ve determined what that is, it becomes easier to do the math and plan around those things.

Once, when I traveled to Osaka for a stageplay, it suddenly occurred to me that if I wanted to visit my friend in Kyoto beforehand, it was totally possible because the play I wanted to see was in the evening.

Given that the two cities are only 38 km apart and trains are plentiful, this might not seem like a huge deal. However, as someone who used to wander around Shinjuku for five hours because I was too scared to miss my bus, this was a pretty monumental development for me.

After messaging my friend and looking up the train times, I successfully navigated an unfamiliar neighborhood and enjoyed my reunion with my old friend.

We ended up having such a great time that I went way over the initial departure time I’d set for myself, even replying “No problemo!” to my concerned friend, who asked if I was sure I didn’t need to leave yet.

(”No problemo” my ass, you fool! Do you have any idea how much the stageplay and train tickets cost altogether?!)

In all honesty, I was stunned. To think that little old me could travel to a city I’d never visited before, all by myself, simply by setting my mind to it—never mind that I only ate convenience store onigiri on the streets despite being in Kyoto.

In any case, I was so happy that I’d stepped out of my comfort zone and had a wonderful time that I started to think, “So what if I miss the opening? I can always catch the rest of the show after the intermission.”

Once the train began pulling into Osaka, however, I began to regain my senses. If I ran like mad, perhaps I would still make it in time…

(Duh. Had I forgotten why I’d come to Osaka in the first place?)

As soon as I arrived in Osaka, I clutched my bags to my chest to eliminate as much wind resistance as possible before tearing through the city. Where that surge of energy came from, I have no idea, but by the time I arrived at the theater, I was sweating buckets with ten minutes to spare before the play began.

I can hardly describe the immense satisfaction I felt at that moment. Somehow, in the same 24 hours that I could spend a whole day at home doing nothing, I had caught the early shinkansen to Osaka and made a brief trip to Kyoto and made it back to Osaka in time to catch a stageplay.

Frankly, the euphoria of it was so great, I wouldn’t have minded if my day had ended then and there. Obviously it didn't, and I was able to thoroughly enjoy the show until the curtain call, thereby ticking off all the things on my to-do list for the day. On the way home, I even ate kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers) at the station. What a day.

Unless you make a conscious effort to plan your schedule efficiently, it's easy for your precious spare time to turn into time spent doing very little. You can add extra enjoyment to your trips just by asking your friends or the internet for new ideas or suggestions. That said, be careful you don’t cram too much into your itinerary, or you might unexpectedly end up doing an impromptu otaku triathlon like me...

Whether you decide to add or subtract from your schedule, just make sure to keep your expectations realistic and do what feels right for you.