Travelling with strangers is exciting. I’m free to be a different version of myself

I’ve travelled with group tours before, but my first experience of Flash Pack last year – on a 12-day trip to Bali – was all the better because of the great group dynamic. When you share your time with people of a similar age range, and from similar walks of life, the connection is that much stronger. 

That experience prepared me for my next big Flash Pack adventure to Japan earlier this year. I knew that, even if I didn’t make friends for life (as I did in Bali), I was sure to have loads of fun. 

The great thing about going so far away with a group of strangers is that you really stretch your comfort zone. It goes without saying that Japanese culture is completely different from my day-to-day life. Back in London, I work as a senior account manager for a travel tech company. And, as an Italian, I often travel back and forth to Italy (and elsewhere). But a big holiday, like two weeks in Japan, gives me a chance to disconnect completely and recharge my batteries. 

The effect goes deeper than that, though. When I’m with friends, family or at work, I automatically adhere to a certain image. But travelling with strangers, I leave all that behind. I’m able to be a new version of myself; with aspects of my personality that don’t tend to surface in my life back home. And that journey of discovery feels exciting – it’s liberating.

Travelling with people of a similar age, the connection is stronger

Since I’ve always wanted to go to Japan, I had very high expectations of my second Flash Pack trip – and it didn’t disappoint. For starters, it was love at first sight with my roommate, Caitlin. As someone who lives alone, I’m not used to sharing my space. I was aware that sharing a room might be tricky; a test of tolerance and patience for us both. Little things, like the fact that she wanted to sleep with AC on, and I didn’t, could have caused friction. 

In reality, we were able to chat it through and meet halfway. And that conversation was the start of a lovely relationship. I would never have expected to bond so closely with someone I was sharing a room with. But spending so much time together, we connected on a deeper level. I think I made a friend; it was a perfect match. 

I was closest to Caitlin yet I had a great connection with everyone in our Japan group. From the moment we met in Osaka at the beginning of the trip, we began bonding. There’s a lot of people-studying at this stage – we’re all trying to understand the different personalities in the mix. And, of course, there will always be some people whom you vibe with more than others. But as a group, we were able to build such a fun dynamic.

This was partly due to the amazing meals we shared. I love food: whenever we had lunch or ate out together in Japan, it was my happy place. And it meant we got to sit at different places each time, with the chance for a proper chat with each member of the group.

Discovering Japanese food was a joy: meals were my happy place

One of my favourite foodie experiences in Japan was watching okonomiyaki being made, in the city of Hiroshima. These traditional street food pancakes were grilled right in front of us, with a choice of cabbage, meat or seafood stuffing. The vendors then added soy sauce and broke an egg on top, before mixing it altogether. The whole thing was messy and delicious: a joy to watch.

Dishes like sushi and ramen were unbelievably good, too. But even the food in the supermarket was amazing. Back home, I’d never get a sandwich from a grocery store. Yet in Japan, the quality is so high that you just want to eat everything, everywhere. And Maho, our guide, was an absolute superstar. She shared so many recommendations on authentic, beautiful food. It was a massive highlight of the trip.

Another standout moment for me was the rare chance to be entertained by an experienced Geiko (the Kyoto term for Geisha). I’ve always been fascinated by these artists, so the opportunity to meet one in real life was mind-blowing. Geikos train from when they’re 15 years old, and the approach is very strict: it’s a vocation that they devote their entire lives to. 

What I wasn’t expecting is how entertaining and personable our Geiko would be. Under all the elaborate makeup and intricate movements, she’s a human being just like us. And it was lovely – amid all the ceremony – to be able to interact with her in that way, asking questions and just having fun. Apparently, the famous book, Memoirs of a Geisha, is a major misrepresentation of what their art is all about.

I really respect the way Japanese people care about culture

The monk we meditated with at Shigisan Temple in Japan’s Nara province was also a real character. He was so funny. I thought our session together would be serious, but instead it was hilarious. 

In general, Japanese people were very kind and happy to help. I have so much respect for the way they care about culture and doing everything in the right way, too. In Japan, there’s a kind of reverential approach that extends to all activities. Even something like making a cocktail takes time; there’s no rush, and every single ingredient is appreciated. 

Towards the end of the trip, we stayed in a traditional ryokan with an on-site onsen (natural hot spring). We were all a bit hesitant because, as part of the experience, you bathe fully naked. But us women in the group made a pact to do it together, and we cheered each other on. The first bit, when we dropped our towels and walked in, was a bit awkward. But when we saw Japanese women of all ages doing the same thing, completely unbothered, we began to embrace it. 

From start to end, my time in Japan was exceptional and it enriched me as a person in so many ways. I know I’ll be back, because now I have the tools to explore, order food and move between cities completely by myself. 

My time in Japan was exceptional. It enriched me as a person

As for the group, it was different from my Flash Pack adventure to Bali, where people shared their life stories and opened up about their struggles. In Bali, we went deep; we were truly there for one another. I still regularly meet up with four other women from that trip who also live in London. 

In Japan, we shared bits and pieces about our lives but we didn’t go as deep. Instead, we simply had fun together. It’s like we decided, ‘We are an amazing group of people. Let’s just enjoy our time together.’ It had a different vibe from Bali – but it was no less beautiful as a result.

Manuela Saccone is an Italian living in London. She works at a travel tech company. Manuela travelled with Flash Pack to Bali and Japan.