Sunday, 23 January 2011 will mark the two year anniversary of the day I physically embarked on my journey to Japan. As the date draws closer, I have found myself in deep thought over the great experiences I had in 日本国 (Nihon-koku or Nippon-koku, the official name for Japan). I have been told by some that my memories will fade, and that I should expect to lose track of my experiences as time progresses. Nonsense, I say! To the skeptics: I will be mindful of what has been done, aware of what will be. I will strive to record as much as possible from memory over the next week, so that each one of you will understand what I experienced in my time overseas. Each one of you will be able to live vicariously through memories of my life in 枚方市 (Hirakata-shi) and my studies at 関西外国語大学 (Kansai Gaikokugo Daigaku). You and I will be able to reflect on what has been done, and use these memories to develop what will be.
The Story Begins
Thursday, 22 January 2009 - I scrambled to fit as much as possible into two suitcases. Moving to the opposite side of the planet meant having to bring much of my life along with me. Excitement burned in my core and coursed through my veins as I made sure all of my paperwork was in order. The plethora of conflicting emotions I was feeling is difficult to describe, but I recall feeling both great excitement and incredible fear as I was about to travel over 7,000 miles (over 11,000 km) from home and reside in a foreign country for four months. I later came to realize that four months was but a hiccup in the course of life.
Friday, 23 January 2009 - I dressed the night before my departure - H&M jeans, white button-down shirt, black and grey-striped sweater vest from Express. I laid in bed, too excited to sleep and too worried that if I slept, I would oversleep. I spent the better part of my night on YouTube watching a variety of different videos, including the music video for "Single Ladies". At 1:09am, I sent an email to my program advisor, Danielle Leonard, regarding my excitement and anticipation for my upcoming life in Japan. Around 2:00am, I fell asleep with "Single Ladies" still playing in the background. At 3:00am, I awoke and jumped out of bed, grabbed my suitcases, and descended the stairs to meet my family.
At 3:45am, with the car packed up, my father, my mother and I pulled out of the driveway and made our way to Albany International Airport. We arrived shortly after 4:00am, meeting the morning rush of business travelers at the ticket counters. I was booked on Northwest Airlines (now Delta Air Lines), with flights from Albany International Airport (KALB) to Detroit Metropolitan Airport (KDTW), and from KDTW to Kansai International Airport (RJBB). Much to my disappointment, I have misplaced my flight tickets, and I cannot remember the flight numbers of each flight on which I was booked.
After checking in and receiving my boarding passes, Yujiro Tawara, Tomoya Kisabe, and Megumi Kidoguchi, my classmates from Japan, greeted me in front of the security line. Our picture is in the top-right corner of this post. We said our farewells and see you soons before I stepped into the security line and was cleared through the TSA security checkpoint. I waved to my parents and friends before making my way over to the A concourse, where my flight awaited. As I sat down in the dark brown, thinly upholstered leather chairs in front of gate A4, I texted my friends and parents, letting them know that I was about to board my first flight, that I loved them, and that I would see them soon. As my flight began boarding about 20 minutes before 6:00am, I grabbed my carry-on luggage and passed through the door of gate A4, walked down the jet bridge, and stepped onto the DC-9-40 aircraft that would carry me to Detroit.
I sat in seat 22C, on the starboard (right) side of the aircraft. Another man was sitting in seat 22E, leaving an empty seat between us. Across the aisle, a group of sales representatives from a Fuccillo car dealership spoke excitedly about their cruise to Mexico. I overheard them and began striking up a conversation. A woman in the group with short, blonde hair and a warm, welcoming smile asked me where I was going. "Japan", I stated. The whole group paused in awe, before remarking on the great experience that awaited my arrival.
At 6:05am, the Northwest Airlines DC-9-40 pushed back from gate A4 and began taxiing to runway 19 a few minutes later. As the aircraft approached the runway threshold, I looked back at the terminal where I had last seen my parents and friends. The Pratt & Whitney engines began to whine as it turned off of taxiway A (alpha) and accelerated down runway 19. There was no sign of daylight as it lifted off the runway and began its ascent over the sleepy suburbs of Albany. Streetlights dotted the landscape below, and I quickly glimpsed the University at Albany uptown campus as the aircraft banked right and broke into the overcast. The first leg of my journey, a mere one hour and five minutes in length, was underway.
Goodbye Albany.
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