日本旅行：１日

I am traveling to Japan with Intrax Ayusa these next three weeks! I'll be documenting my travels and experiences here, so everyone can see what it's like to be in Japan from my perspective. Feel free to ask any questions!

29日６月２０１９年

旅行の１日

こんにちは皆さん、(Konnichiwa minasan,)

Today, I’m flying to Narita International Airport in Japan! It’s my first time travelling internationally by myself, but having a direct flight and not needing to worry about connections makes it a lot less stressful than it could’ve been.

I got through security without a hitch- I don’t like SEA-TAC’s new TSA conveyor system but having been through it a week prior going to California for college tours, I knew how it worked. There are three lines, but everyone lines up in the last one- so I got to practically skip the line by just knowing which to go to. That was pretty sweet! I had a lot of time to catch the tram to S gates, and there was an open seat at the electronics table right next to my gate- S15- so I was able to spend a bit of time watching YouTube and relaxing before my 9 hour and 32 minute flight. It took a while to board: I lined up way too early and ended up standing around for a while. But it was nice hearing the people behind me speak Japanese and understanding at least a little of it. I ended up trading my window seat for a middle seat so a family of three could sit together, but I don’t regret my decision- not only am I not sitting next to a 6-year-old, but I’m actually sitting next to someone else in the Ayusa Japan program! We talked for about 30 minutes at the start of the flight and then randomly throughout the 9.5 hours, and it was nice knowing someone who I’d be seeing these next 3 weeks before the program even started.

International travel is surprisingly nice. I love the pamphlet they handed out at the start going over the flight: “settling in, first service, mid-flight, pre-arrival, arrival”- it sounds like a five-course meal! The food was pretty good- it sounds a lot better than it was, but it was not bad by any means. I enjoyed my “Stir Fried Pork and Cabbage with Yuzu Kosyo Pepper and Rice”, but I enjoyed ordering it in Japanese even more: 豚肉とキャベツを一つ下さい (Butaniku to kyabetsu wo hitotsu kudasai)。The blondie that came with it was delicious as well- chewy and great. After eating, I finished watching 未来のミライ (Mirai) and then fell asleep listening to music. I got a solid 1.5-hour nap, which should help me have enough energy to stay up until bedtime in Japan- which will be around 6AM at home. Later, we got our “mid-flight” service- a cup of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. I was expecting something like vanilla or chocolate (something boring that I’d still eat regardless) but it was actually my second favorite flavor- “Americone Dream”- so that was a treat. After, I worked on some college essay writing (fun, I know) but I hit some writer’s block and decided to start writing this. I’ve got about 2.5 hours left until arriving in Tokyo! Until then, I’ll be writing what I can, listening to music, and ignoring the loud child in front of me ;)

I’ll try to update again after finishing my travel 16 hours into the future!

又話してね～ (Mata hanashite ne~)