Sometimes The Travel Has Other Plans - How We Went to Japan

Last updated March 21st, 2026

You plan and you plan, and you overlook something crucial. Something so crucial, as putting all things in place to be able to enter the country of destination in the first place. Ok so first of all, that visa question sometimes takes a long time. Second of all, having different passports, you might be getting a different treatment. Which will only prolong the wait. This is the story of how we rerouted from Australia to Japan.

We had planned two full months in Australia, flights, hotels, airbnb\u2019s, experiences were booked. We were stoked to spend a month having a basecamp in Sydney, and the second month touring the coast in a camper van. Zac has lived in Australia a couple of years ago, and he was excited to show me around. I was beside myself to finally visit two of my best friends, who relocated to Australia some time ago. It was all shaping up to be a pretty good start to our world travels. And then, my visa was just not arriving. And not arriving. It all seemed weird, because Zac received his instantly after having applied for it. We were wondering what might ever be the problem with mine. The biggest struggle for me was not taking it personally. I started reading into how different passport holders get different treatment, and all signs pointed to small nations having to jump through hoops, whilst Zac with his American passport didn\u2019t get a single question about purpose of travel, job, income, etc etc.

And then the morning of the flight came, and with it email about my visa being denied. Frustration had the best of me and I burst into tears. My pain body went straight for \u201cpoor me and poor all small nation citizens!\u201d. The only reason I could find was that I was being mistreated whilst somebody else had a green light all the way. But it\u2019s not all black and white, for how I see it now.

First of all, Zac used to live in Australia, and this must have been a big factor for his travel visa. Second of all, seems like we took it way too easy. Apparently, during the visa application process, you are not being asked to provide any proof of your stay, say hotel reservations, return flight confirmation, names and addresses of people you\u2019ll be visiting or staying with etc. It\u2019s not being asked, but it is expected, if not obligatory (for success) as it shows. And this was something we didn\u2019t even think of. And we had it all!

Since there was no way back, we made adjustments to our flights and chose a destination we were both dreaming of since we were kids \u2013 Japan. A little stopover in Singapore just to gather a quick plan for what and where in Japan, and we took off towards the Nippon islands.

As for Australia, we will get there. Just enough time to replan, reapply in a proper way, and somewhere in 2024 we\u2019ll be cruising in the land down under.