What Ichigoichielove is and Why I (re) Started It
Hi, and welcome to my blog!
For a briefer version of this, go see my About page.
First, let's get the awkward stuff out of the way:
What is ichigoichielove, and how do you pronounce it?
Ichigoichie (minus the love) is pronounced itchy-go itchy-eh and literally means "one time, one meeting". If you're still scratching your head, it's similar to the Latin phrase "Carpe diem", or seize the day. It's a reminder to make the most of each and every minute of the day, because every moment is a new opportunity — a new beginning.
I also feel ichigoichie promotes that sense of wonder many of us lose as we get older — that burning curiosity to know what things are, how they work, and how places and people differ — and how they're alike.
“Cherish sunsets, wild creatures and wild places. Have a love affair with the wonder and beauty of the earth.”
I added the word "love" as another reminder. I don't think anyone can do anything without love in life. Whether it's the platonic love for a friend, the passion you feel for your work, or the romantic feelings you harbor for your partner, everyone is, in some form or another, driven by love.
What is Ichigoichielove about?
In short, it's a culture, travel, and lifestyle blog with a Nordic* and Japanese focus. The longer version: it's blog with cultural insights, off-the-beaten track travel tips, and health advice — all focused on either a Nordic or Japanese source — or a combination of both. I'm a big fan of rooting for the underdog and I'll focus a lot of my writing on places and customs that may not be that well-known, but are no less deserving of attention.
I'll also post non-fiction and fictional stories inspired by my life in both regions.
*Nordic region: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland
Why start writing now?
This blog has seen a few different incarnations, but until now, it's been primarily my personal sharing platform.
I started this version of the blog for several reasons:
1) To help people avoid cliche, rehashed crap about the Nordic region and Japan that you can find anywhere else. You deserve better than that. Whether you're a culture nerd or a travel guru, I guarantee you'll learn something new here.
2) To connect better with my native and my adopted homelands. After 10 years in Japan and with a lot of work focused on writing about it, I have a lot of knowledge floating about in my brain that's not being used. I try to keep updated on my home region as well and by digging deeper for my readers, I'll have an extrinsic reason to do so.
3) Because I love helping people and I love writing. What better way to do both?
I hope you'll join me on this journey.
“I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.”
Before you go, drop a note below to say hi and let me know what you'd like to know about the Nordics and Japan! I'd love to hear from you! <3
Images from Pixabay
