wow, i never thought that my first journal update would be so soon, but now i have a few hours to kill at the airport so i figure i might as well make good use of my time.
yesterday and this morning were a total blur. running on hardly any sleep, i’ve spent most of my time in a daze and the thought that i’m really seriously going to a foreign country for a month and a half has seemed totally unreal. though i’ve spent the last several months totally looking forward to this, all of a sudden my last day has been filled w/ doubt, fear and anxiety. am i gonna survive w/out seeing any of my friends for so long?
this morning joey gave me a ride to the airport and after having breakfast w/ him and caryn, i went to catch my flight. of course, in typical vlad fashion, i didn’t get to the security check point until it was only 15 minutes to my flight. after waiting in the excruciatingly slow line, i began to realize that i would end up missing my flight if i waited any longer. so i talked to an attendant and got to cut to the front (shweet!). unfortunately though, my pants have enougfh zippers to kill a person, so the metal detector beeped when i walked thru it. as i waited for the guy w/ the wand to arrive, i noticed that my flight was leaving in only 2 minutes. CRAP! would i really end up missing my fight?? luckily after scanning my shoes etc, and running at top speed the fest of the way, i got on my flight.
the flight was uneventful other than me exploding yogurt all over the place. doh! and this brings me to where i am now. tokyo airport. it’s pretty exciting to be here. i think the finally everything is starting to feel more real, and the stress is going away. don’t have much to report about tokyo, other than the fact that i went to the bathroom (luckily to pee) and walked by a stall… and there was only a hole inside. no toilet. UGH. not looking forward to trying that out!
also, i’m already acutely becoming aware of the language barrier. for the most part people that speak english can be found, but do i decipher all the crazy signs i’m gonna see? also, i don’t eat beef or pork. how am i gonna get that across to people when i buy food? i bought soup here, and had to talk to 3 different people in order to ask someone if it was beef broth or not. maybe i need to get a photo of a cow and a pig w/ a big cross through it to show people? heh.
-vlad
you are lucky you made your flight! but i guess that just makes one more exciting experience to add to the travel journal…
did you bring a paper/pen journal with you? if not you should pick one up at a store at the airport or something.. it would be an awesome thing to be able to look back on 20 years from now and show your kids and stuff… or maybe not show your kids 😉
hehe! “unfortunately though, my pants have enougfh zippers to kill a person” That made me giggle so!
Definately do the pictures of cows and pigs with the X… or get a dictionary!
Glad to hear you’re on your way Vlady, keep it comin!
I completely understand your feelings of anxiety prior to your departure. I’m also pretty apprehensive. I’m still trying to tie up loose ends, but as I finish one project, another emerges. I can’t wait to leave, but I’m nervous too. Traveling for four months will be exhausting, to say the least… and traveling for two months alone will certainly be a little scary / lonely.
Breakfast was fun! I have one question… did the yogurt explode onto your neighbors? =)
luckily not. just all over my shirt. i felt pretty dumb. but then i felt better when the girl next to me opened hers and it exploded all over her too. at least i’m not the only one!
-v