Blondies Good Bad and Ugly

I’m sure my loyal readers (hello to my aunts and mom :)) are just dying for an update about the new friend I made on the plane. I’m happy to report that I eventually worked up enough courage to wake her so I could stretch my legs and make my way to the bathroom. However, once I was ready to take my seat again, I found her asleep with her head low. But, instead of my shoulder, I offered her my neck pillow this time. My new friend was very grateful. In fact, she was so grateful that she used it for the rest of the flight! I figured between the two of us, she needed it a lot more than I did.

Once I landed, I was eager to get off the plane and feeling more at ease knowing that I didn’t have to navigate a foreign country alone anymore. (Thank you gate attendant from DFW.) After officially getting my passport stamped, I was waiting for my things at baggage claim when I received a message from one of my professors that part of the group was waiting for me just on the other side of customs. (Que the biggest sigh of relief!)

Customs was much more of a breeze than I had imagined it would be. The only thing that I couldn’t quite figure out was how to write the address to my hotel. They are a bit different here than back in America.

Once I finally walked through the doors, I scanned the area till my eyes landed on a group of people waving their hands in the air. (Que the second biggest sigh of relief!) From there, I exchanged the cash I had for some yen, got a Suica card for the train, and we all headed to the hotel. Check in was easy enough. I’ve learned that many people speak English here and they are very kind and accommodating. (It makes me feel a pang of a quilt for not studying more Japanese.) It was a battle not to fall asleep as soon as my body hit the bed and my feet left the floor.

All of this was a short five days ago. Japan has a lot to offer and we are trying hard to see most of it. Most of the students I am here with were strangers a week ago. Now we are all getting to know one another and learning to navigate life as foreigners together. Some of us have gotten lost a few times, eventually finding our way back to a familiar area some hours later. But, in all it has been a great experience so far. Two days ago us girls were sitting in a Starbucks working on different things when I had gotten lost in the latest Emily Henry novel. (I’m sure my dad would love to hear that even halfway across the world I’m finding a Starbucks.) After ending my chapter and closing the book it took me a couple seconds to realize I wasn’t reading in just a Starbucks. I was reading in a JAPAN Starbucks. Because I’m finally in Japan!