I'm halfway through my flight to Japan. I tried sleeping, but I only managed an hour-long nap. I'm going to be really tired later on today, but I've handled all-nighters so I'll live. I'm just far too antsy to sleep right now.
Flying to Japan is quite the paradox. I'm going to be in this plane for twelve hours straight, and it's never going to get dark. I keep wondering what flying back to the States will entail, but I'm not willing to seriously consider the matter right now - that's a question for me to figure out in three months' time. Halfway there, and we're still over snow-covered mountains. At this point, I think it must be Alaska. Funny that we're halfway there, and we haven't even left North America yet. That's the polar route for you.
I was really impressed when I arrived in Detroit for my connection. The Northwest Airlines terminal is huge and really nice and even has a little tram running from one end of the terminal to the other, elevated far above the passerby. Indoors. Funny thing to watch. I found my gate easily enough, and was duly impressed with the sight of the 747 that I'd be flying in - I haven't been in one (or even seen) of those babies since I flew to Germany in the summer after I graduated high school. Fond memories welled up of that 8-hour flight and the little TV screens in the back of each seat that showed great pictures, even though the screens were so small.
I get onto the plane an hour before takeoff - I'm in the far back of the plane, row 63K. My row is interesting because it consists of only two seats, and the row in front of me has three. Sweet - I get a place to stow my backpack and a empty space for legroom. Clearly, I have the best seat on the plane. Then I look up and notice that this plane is not nearly as up-to-date as the one that I took to Germany. I can see a single TV projection screen, many many rows away. As I frown upon this, a tall guy sits down directly in my line of sight. Okay. Movies are now out of the question. Not that the plane is showing anything of interest anyway. Spanglish is not high on my priority list of movies to see. I pick up the airplane magazine, only to be taunted by options that apply to first class or more modern planes. I want outlet power for my laptop, dammit! I figure it's going to be a long and boring flight.
In all actuality, I have brought far more things than I can possibly do in one flight. I spent a good deal of time reviewing old Japanese flashcards, reading my Japan guidebook, and cursing myself for leaving all my useful 'survival in Japan' handouts at home. I start to wonder what the hell I'm doing - am I really going to be all right, all by myself in Tokyo, trying to commute out to Hitachi with a huge suitcase in the middle of evening rush hour traffic. Guess I'll find out soon enough. For now, I can take comfort in the fact that I packed three months' worth of clothes and various sundries into only one suitcase - we were all convinced that I'd need two.
Way early in the flight, this flight attendant walked around, handing out these forms that some people had to fill out. Unfortunately, she was speaking in Japanese when she walked by, so I couldn't tell what they were for. No one seemed to be taking them though, so I didn't jump up to grab one. Now, I'm wondering if they were for people staying in Japan, since everyone around me appears to be flying on to other places - Singapore for the guy sitting next to me, and Thailand for the three girls in front of me. What's going on? I feel terribly clueless. I also feel like I forgot all of my Japanese in the past couple weeks since school ended. This nagging feeling of worry has been growing on me since the plane took off - I think it has only just struck me that I'm actually doing it. I'm actually going to Japan. And I'm going to be there for three whole months. Wow. Deep breath, Flykyr.
Life is an adventure.
- Flykyr Skysong
Current song: Young Parisians feat. Ben Lost - Jump the Next Train (Kyau vs. Albert Remix)
Current mood: Worried
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