"I have no idea if people can read this," I think to myself as I look at my first cardboard sign and the spidery writing scrawled across it.
The hiragana couldn't be simpler, but I only manage a hesitant smile as I hold up the sign that reads something along the lines of "いわき" (Iwaki).
Only 20 minutes later, an elderly lady frees me of my uncertainty. She looks a bit puzzled as she opens the car door for me. It seems that she is not only surprised by me — the curious Swiss sticking his thumb out at the world — but also at her spontaneous decision to give me a ride. She wipes the thought and starts the engine. I am unsure where she is headed, but I am convinced it is the beginning of a remarkable journey.