I meant to start writing this before I left Miami, but things got complicated and I've decided to push some things aside to make some time for my blog. I'm in Japan! I'd like to start from the beginning, the flight. So Sunday the 23rd of November, I was nervous. Anxious. I knew this was actually happening but it just wasn't real to me... I packed my big ass bag and it ripped, I slept but I couldn't sleep, I threw up 4 times... Eventually I got another bag, packed it with my dad's help, and went to his house with my mom for them to take me to the airport. It was a long 30 minute drive from my dad's house to Ft. Lauderdale airport, albeit me being there dozens of times... This time it was to drop ME off. We hugged and my mom cried... I almost backed out, mostly due to my fear of flying but also so I would avoid what I'm feeling now... Homesick. I showed my passport and boarding pass and boarded the plane about 25 minutes after. I hadn't slept in about two days, I felt like I could have collapsed at any moment. The attendant said this was a full flight from Ft. Lauderdale to Houston, and something about that scared me. I sat next to a sweet little old lady, whom traveled from New Zealand just a few days ago and was on her way to Canada to fly over the Italy a week after. Here I was petrified of being on a plane and this was basically just an hour of her life she was just waiting to end. I took out my tablet and watched 22 Jump Street, despite the turbulence and any desire to not be conscious. Eventually I was in Houston! As I arrived, I received a couple emails telling me that my connecting flight was delayed by 5 hours. I had arrived in Houston at 9am and wasn't going to fly till nearly 2pm to Tokyo, I was supposed to leave at 11am, only two hours of a wait. So the long wait became torture... I was going to be on a plane, on a seat for about 14 hours... The 5 hours passed slowly as I bobbed my head side to side, almost falling asleep. Actually, I'm pretty sure I did fall asleep a couple times.... Slowly the waiting area filled with Asian people. Little Japanese kids, Chinese couples and cute Filipinas. Seeing them made this more of a reality for me. Any announcement that was made, was made in Japanese and broken English. I struggled to understand anything from this point forward. Fast forward to being so high in the sky that I could literally see the outline of the atmosphere, and the frozen tundra that is Alaska underneath me, we were brought meals! Like full on chicken and rice and drinks, all complimentary. I ate and put my headphones on. At this point I felt comfortable. I almost didn't care I was an engine failure away from crash landing into a mountain of ice or who knows what was a million miles below me... Eventually, many movies, songs, meals, drinks and confusing announcements later... I could feel the plane descending, a feeling I seriously didn't like. Almost made me wanna puke. The descending alone was a full hour, that's how high up we were! Slowly we touched down... A smooth ride and landing overall. I forgot to mention everyone had full rows to themselves, it was a plane half full, so there was lots of room to move and lay down. I felt jealous of everyone who slept through the entire fucking flight. What was more than half a day of endurance must have felt like minutes to them. I grabbed my stuff and walked towards the front of the plane and immediately I was greeting to slanted eyes and bowing heads. The most humble place in the world, and I couldn't speak a word to them. Fortunately I did learn a few words, but even more fortunately, a vast amount of the people I needed to speak to actually spoke very good English. Due to my flight being delayed, I missed my connecting flight to Nagoya so I had no idea what was happening. The prompters just said the flight had left and I was left confused. Eventually I asked around and was taken to immigration, which was rather quick, then I just followed the signs for domestic flights. There was a sign directing anyone that just arrived from Houston to grab our bags and be taken on a bus to a nearby hotel and be set up for the night there. It was nice to finally be on the ground. Dinner was included, as was breakfast the next morning before the flight to Nagoya. I tried speaking to a few people but a lot was lost in the middle, I just followed signs and instructions I understood... I ate, showered and slept. I awoke to finally board one last plane to Nagoya, where I was picked up and thus began my adventure in Japan. I shall continue tomorrow!