jslakey's blog

When we were preparing for Ravi’s trip, our goals were to help Ravi spread his message and expand his volunteer network in Japan. Now though, as we meet more and more people, I realize that there is also great value in what Ravi has been able to observe with his own eyes. Volunteers from Japan have often made suggestions to Ravi about public systems like recycling that they have seen. For the first time, Ravi understands firsthand where we are coming from- this has been an invaluable experience for him.

Just like Ravi, I'm not accustomed to being in a big city like Tokyo; I've spent the past two years in rural Japan in a village of 10,000 people. Here, I feel as though we are constantly moving from a train to a subway to a light rail, with only brief glimpses of towering skyscrapers before being shuttled along underground.