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Konnichi wa

Since I can't be brief about anything, I'm warning you now that there will be several posts for my Japan trip. You can read all of them, none of them, or just scan them.



This first story isn't about Japan exactly, but the adventure of just getting there.

My arrival to Japan was delayed by a day. The initial plan was that we'd meet up at the airport since I was scheduled to arrive about two hours after my friends landed (coming in from Ohio), and then we'd all head out together to our hotel. Well, after sitting for four hours on my plane, taxiing 4 times, deboarding for a "brieft period of time so the situation could be addressed" I was finally informed that my flight was cancelled and I wouldn't be leaving till the next day. I was mad and slightly anxious as I thought about how I'd meet my friends. I was also beyond tired due to two dramamine (I get motion sickness pretty easily) and also two doses of codeine laced cough syrup (I got pretty sick 3 days before I left and I didn't want to be quarantined in Japan - it seriously happens). I went home, called Fumiko (neighbor who is Japanese and helped me with planning some of the trip) and I had her help me plan a route to get from airport to hotel since I'd not longer be meeting my friends and going with them. I also emailed my friends and told them I had a plan worked out to meet them and that everything should work out. Fumiko helped me get everything straightened out and I went to bed somewhat calm that everything would work out. My parents picked me up, again, and I was back at the airport by 5:30 AM. After a 30 minute delay due to the pilots not showing up, we finally boarded the plane again and we were on our way. Just before the plan took off I checked my email once more only to read an email from Pirate and to find out that the address I had given Fumiko was for a hotel at a later date in our trip. I slightly paniced, but what could I do? Plus, I trust Pirate quite a bit and I knew she'd work something out.

I landed in Japan 11.5 hours later and I kept thinking "what if I never find them and I wander the streets of Japan alone?" The adventurous side of me loved this idea, but the logical side hated it and wanted to find my friends. I found an internet cafe in the airport and I was relieved to find an email from Pirate with instructions of where to go and what to do so I could find them; three subway transfers and several sets of stairs later I found them on a corner. I was so relieved to see them!

To see our adventures in Tokyo, click here.

Comments

Drama! I'm glad you at least have an adventurous side or I think the logical side may have had a heart attack from the stress! I'm glad it worked out :)

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