There’s something about wandering a city alone that feels equal parts thrilling and nerve-wracking. Last weekend, I decided to visit Shibuya on my own, just to see what the day would bring. Spoiler: it was exciting, confusing and unforgettable.

It all began with the train ride. The Tokyo train system is an adventure in itself. I learned pretty quickly the difference between local and express trains. The local stops at every station, while the express flies past most, so what was a local train ride of 10 minutes to Shibuya turned into a 30 minutes ride to a place I can’t pronounce in the rapid express. Off to a good start. As I watched stations come and pass, all I could think was “Wait, where am I going?”