The northern base of Fuji is home to five lakes, formed during past eruptions of the iconic Japanese mountain. One of them is Lake Sai. A campground at the water’s edge, nestled between forested cliffs, was my residence for a rainy week in October.
I was joining a team of teachers from The American School in Japan to help supervise the annual Grade 8 trip to this remote destination. Having landed in Tokyo only a few days prior, I was still fighting jet lag when I arrived at my empty cabin. But the chilly morning air, which I confronted only with the aid of steaming hot-chocolate-laced-coffee in a thermos, snapped me into routine.