I wanted to note something pretty specific that happened while I was in Tokyo on a layover. First off, I had a 10-hour layover so I decided to get out of the airport and just go explore. Once again, this event and experience only happened and was able to change me because I just got out and did. I didn’t make excuses and I didn’t have a set plan. When I got into the city, I was drawn to this amazing structure that looked super old and kickass. There was some sort of a park it looked like on the inside with a massive towering tree coming out the middle of it. IT was called Zojoji temple, and it's in the heart of the bustling and busy Tokyo skyscraper scene. This small park surrounded by beautifully architected walls was filled with greenery and a massive attraction it seemed for both locals and foreigners. Right in the front of the courtyard, right through the entrance, there was a massive tree towering over 120’ tall. It was beautiful and one of the main contributors to the peacefulness and greenery of the large courtyard. As I got closer to it, I realized there was a sign that read “General Grant the eighteenth president of the United States planted this Himalayan cedar when he visited Zojoji temple as a national guest in 1879.”
