An Early Introduction to the Joy that is: The Onsen

Rai, it was only a matter of time before your Mom and Dad introduced you to one of their great joys in life: the onsen. Not yet 6 months old, you made your first visit to an onsen not once, but twice this past weekend.
Those who know me, already know what an 'onsen' is because I'll talk about onsen every chance I get. Those who haven't yet been acquainted with the term 'onsen' or the onsen experience itself need to add 'visit an onsen' to their list of 'things I must do before I die'.
Rising from the ocean where several tectonic plates collide, Japan, next to Iceland, is probably the most thermal nation in the world. And where there is thermal and volcanic activity, there are natural hotsprings. 'Onsen' is the Japanese word for 'hotspring' and this tiny country has hundreds, if not thousands, of them scattered along the mountainous spine that runs the entire length of the main islands.
Frequent onsen visits are not only custom and tradition in Japan, but also art. There is a ritual inherent in the bathing, relaxation and meditation that are part of the onsen experience. As a foreigner living in Japan, my first visit to an onsen was a difficult one. First, I was unaccustomed to bathing nude with others. Second, I was even less used to bathing in a mixed gender setting (which is often the case in many onsen). Finally, I was worried that I wouldn't perform the series of steps correctly. I observed every action taken by my friends before attempting them myself.
After a few visits, i was an onsen expert. After a few more visits, I was an onsen enthusiast. And, after a handful of additional visits, I knew that the onsen was something that I needed in my life, something that I wouldn't be able to live without.
The Japanese hotspring is an amazing thing. Done right, an onsen preserves as much of the natural setting of the spring as possible. Many onsen are outdoor, set in the forest, with pools carved into the rock, surrounded by boulders and simple structures built of wood. It is these simple and rustic springs where I would use a wooden bucket to bathe myself and soak in steaming waters spilling out of a tiny, rocky pool that I fell in love with most.
Over my year in Japan, the onsen became so important to me that when it came time to finish my work and plan my final tour through the Land of the Rising Sun, I planned it as the 'Onsen Tour of Japan'. For 2 months, I traveled the length of the nation, making sure to visit at least one onsen each and every day.
Seven years later, Rai, your Mom and I returned to Japan for a summer vacation that will forever remain in our hearts and minds. Two summers ago, we spent a full 2 months in Japan, retracing many of the steps, train journeys, and, of course, onsen visits that I had made while living there. I wanted to show your Mom exactly why this island nation had changed my life.
During that summer in Japan, we discovered onsen I had never seen before. During the first three or four weeks, we visited two dozen onsen, each a unique and incredible experience. Your Mom, as I had years ago, fell in love with the onsen experience. It is during these relaxed and meditative times that we decided to have a baby. The nation that had changed my life, shaped me and my ambitions, was now the place that would change my life even more, the place where you, my son, the source of immeasureable joy, would be conceived.
Now, it's your turn to discover the onsen. This past weekend, we spent the a long, 4-day weekend at the family cabin. Just 10 minutes walk from the cabin is Grover Hotsprings State Park so this was the weekend when we would introduce you to the joy that is: the onsen. The springs at Grover may not be rustic and natural like those we loved in Japan, but they still offer a soak in waters that bubble hot from the earth and provide a mix of minerals that soothes and heals.
This was your first time in a pool of water larger than a tiny baby bathtub and you loved it so much! During the entire first visit, you were all smiles and giggles. The other baby boy you met in the spring was a bit shocked by your wild and excited behavior. In the end, we can't say whether it is the swimming pool experience that you loved or the fact that this was natural, hot spring water. I'll just assume the latter, knowing that love for the onsen must be in your blood. How could it not be? One day, we will return to Japan together where I can show you why no other people can match the Japanese in the way that they experience a hotspring. That is a day I cannot wait for.