Memores Acti Prudentes Futuri - Interlude: Osaka Time Lapse Courtesy of Paul Hillier

Memores Acti Prudentes Futuri - Part III: Dreaming of the Osaka Sun

Friday, 23 January 2009 - As Northwest Airlines flight 69 continued to climb skyward, I turned my attention to the television monitor several rows forward of where I was seated. I noticed the planned flight route drawn out on the monitor. We were heading north-northwest toward Hudson Bay. I looked out the window and watched the high clouds streak by. The sky was clear but showed evidence of a sunset only a few hours away.

We continued northwestward, gliding through the skies over the western shore of Hudson Bay. Three hours down, eleven to go. The cabin was quiet as most passengers seized the opportunity to take a long nap. While most window shades were drawn, the shade attached to the window at my right remained open, affording me the chance to watch the sky transition from brilliant blue to yellow and orange. As the sun continued to set, a thin line of orange, red, and pink appeared on the horizon. Stars became visible as we continued our northwestward trajectory toward the northern Canadian provinces. My tired eyes could not stay open any longer, and as one of the flight attendants paced up and down the aisle next to me, I drifted to sleep.

I awoke to a jolt as the aircraft encountered some turbulence. A movie played on the forward monitor, and passengers on either side of me were sound asleep. A flight attendant wearing a dark blue uniform offered me some 緑茶 (ryoku-cha; green tea). I willingly accepted her offer and turned my gaze back to the window as she moved by. There was but a hint of daylight on the horizon as Northwest Airlines flight 69 traversed the skies of northern Alaska.

I decided to stand up and peer out the aft starboard exit on the right side of the aircraft. I noticed rugged, snow-covered mountains below. There was not a hint of life. What a beautiful planet. At what other time could I appreciate such beauty? I quietly returned to seat 54G and fastened my seatbelt. I looked at my watch. Eight hours down, six to go. I drifted back to sleep.

Saturday, 24 January 2009 - I awoke to brilliant sunshine peaking through the window to my right. Three hours had already passed, and it was an entirely different day as the aircraft had crossed the International Date Line. I stood up and made my way back to the window at the aft starboard exit. A thick overcast obscured the water below. I turned my attention to the forward monitor to note the position of the aircraft. We were over the Northwest Pacific, not far from the coast of Siberia's Kamchatka Peninsula. I returned to my seat and watched as the aircraft drew closer to 北海道 (Hokkaido). With a little over an hour left to go, I felt great excitement well up in my core. I'm almost there!

The aircraft began to descend through the broken clouds over the main island of 本州(Honshu). For the first time in hours, I caught site of land. I CAN SEE JAPAN! I could not wrap my mind around the thought of reaching the Sun Origin Country. The aircraft banked left as the flight attendants requested the return of all passengers to their assigned seats. I observed the rolling hills and mountains below, the tall power lines that stretched to seemingly nowhere, and the occasional small city that appeared in the middle of vast, open fields.

As Northwest Airlines flight 69 continued to descend, I noticed a large body of water lined with high-rise structures. I looked at the monitor and realized that I was seeing Osaka Bay and the cities of Kobe and Osaka. The sun reflected off the bay as the aircraft banked right and lined up with Kansai International Airport's runway 24L. I paid attention to the breaking waves in Osaka Bay as the engines roared and the aircraft briefly ascended. The Osaka Sun sat low on the horizon, shining its rays through the cabin windows and illuminating the interior of the aircraft. It appeared that all passengers had shifted their attention to the nearest windows as the aircraft gradually descended.

After a few bumps and jolts, the airport was visible. I held my breath as we glided over the runway 24L threshold. THUD - the aircraft touched down around 5:30pm local time, and with its spoilers deployed and engine thrust in reverse, slowed to a crawl. I looked out the window as my eyes filled with tears. I've made it.

Eight months ago, I had a dream that I would one day travel to this island nation. My dream drew closer to reality with each passing day as I fought hard to convince my family, friends, and professors that I could handle this journey. My dream is NOW a reality. What is the point of dreaming if one is not willing to take risks to transform his or her dreams into realities?

As I conclude this post, I am reliving the raw emotions that accompanied my arrival in Japan. I feel as if I am sitting on the aircraft as it is pulling into the gate. I feel as if my life in Japan is about to begin.

The next few posts will not go day-by-day, but rather will detail the many great experiences I had while studying at 関西外国語大学 and traveling in 日本国. To the audience, both domestic and international, thank you for your support. I would undoubtedly write this for myself regardless of viewership, but your commitment to reading my posts has made this experience incredibly fulfilling. I hope that my memories have inspired or will inspire you to dare to dream and strive to achieve.

夢 - Yume - Dream - Dreams are today's answers to tomorrow's questions.

Memores Acti Prudentes Futuri - Part II: Climbing Skyward

Friday, 23 January 2009 - The aircraft broke free of the overcast over upstate New York with still no sign of daylight on the horizon. Outside, only the strobe lights at the end of each wing were visible. Inside the aircraft, the Pratt & Whitney engines hummed loudly over the occasional conversation.

My eyes were very heavy, yet I could not sleep. The back of the aircraft was sparsely occupied, so I decided to move to seat 21E (a window seat) on the same side of the aircraft. I looked across the aisle and out the window. I noticed the first hints of daylight on the horizon behind the aircraft. As I turned my head to focus my gaze out of the window next to me, I noticed a few city lights below. My journey was already well underway as many upstate New York residents still slept.

As the sun continued to rise, I noticed the snow cover blanketing the frozen ground. There was Rochester. I see Buffalo. That must be Lake Erie, and that must be southern Ontario. I tried to pick out as many landmarks as possible to estimate the distance I had yet to travel. As I did so, I began to feel the aircraft descending through the broken clouds. Everything possessed a dull shade of grey. The engines began to vibrate as aircraft slowed and the pilots prepared to land.

I focused on the ground below as we flew over the snow-covered farm fields of southern Ontario and a frozen Lake Saint Clair (Lac Sainte-Claire). There is Downtown Detroit. The neighborhoods below looked so quiet and sleepy. Now and then, a car could be seen pulling out of a driveway. Interstate-94 was already jammed with rush hour traffic as the aircraft lined up with runway 21L in preparation to land. I noticed another aircraft lining up for a parallel runway, and both aircraft touched down at approximately the same time.

We pulled up to the gate around 7:15am, and as I deplaned, I remembered that I had a five hour layover. I walked through the waiting area and into the main part of the terminal, turning my head both left and right to peer down the seemingly endless terminal corridor. I remembered reading that Detroit's main terminal was the second-longest on the planet. The longest? The terminal at Kansai International Airport, my final destination. What a coincidence.

I found a McDonald's and decided to have breakfast. It had been years since I had a meal at a McDonald's restaurant. The young woman at the ticket counter - she was African American with a beautiful, calming smile and soothing voice - asked me where I was going. I told her that I was going to Japan, and that I'd be studying there for four months. Her reaction made me believe that she was more excited than I was. It was great to share such a moment of excitement with a total stranger, and I felt it was a shame to bid her farewell as I gathered my food and walked out of the restaurant.

I walked across the corridor and sat by a window that overlooked the main aircraft ramp. I was sitting in the middle of the terminal with a great view of all the aircraft activity. There were so many jet aircraft - large and small - with red tails and winglets, and the logo "NWA" painted in big black letters on both sides of each silver fuselage. I sat and watched the aircraft come and go, and wondered about the destination of each traveler. It was a great moment to observe and appreciate the planet on which we live.

I checked the flight information on a nearby monitor. My flight to Kansai International Airport was on time, and was to leave around 12:30pm. My watch told me it was shortly after 9:00am. I decided to walk the length of the terminal, which was over a mile long. At its far end, I stopped and sat down in a waiting area with black leather seats that were slightly better upholstered. I pulled out my lap top - the one on which I am writing this post - and began checking my emails. I emailed a few friends who were back in Albany and noticed that I had an email from a speaking partner to which I had been assigned. Her name was Sayuri - Lily in Japanese. What a beautiful name. Her email was warm and inviting.

After spending some time writing emails, I noticed that I still had two hours before I was to board my flight to 大阪 (Osaka). I looked up and to my left, and noticed a red train with a logo that read "NWA" in small white letters. I watched it travel from one end of the terminal to the other, and decided that I wanted to take a ride. It was approaching its terminus as I finished climbing the stairs. I stepped on the train with several business travelers as the wide doors swung open. I remember a young woman with short, highlighted hair and glasses with thin black frames. She was wearing a business suit and holding a suitcase in her right hand. She stepped off the train two stops before me and disappeared into an elevator. I thought about where she was going and realized that I'd likely never see her again. I appreciated this thought, for it was random chance that allowed us to briefly cross paths.

As the train reached its other terminus, I stepped off and into a glass elevator. I was the only one in the elevator as the doors closed. I took a moment to notice my surroundings. Domestic and foreign travelers, some traveling solo and others toting children, were moving at different paces, trying to locate the gates at which to board their next flights. I followed suit and found mine. My flight was parked at a gate adjacent to a flight bound for Nagoya. I gazed at the large Boeing 747-400 on the opposite side of the window. I found it humbling that the next fourteen hours of my life would be spent on this aircraft.

The gate agent began calling each zone for boarding. I grabbed my ticket and waited in line. I now seem to remember that this flight was registered as Northwest Airlines flight 69. As my zone was called for boarding, I walked through the gate and down the long jet bridge, following a sea of other passengers. I entered the aircraft through a door forward of the port (left) wing and walked toward the back of the aircraft to find my seat. I was assigned seat 54G, which was located on the inside of the right aisle of the aircraft. Fortunately, the seat to my left remained unoccupied, allowing for extra leg room.

I met two young Japanese women who were sitting in seats 54D and 54E. They were from 神戸 (Kobe), and were returning from a vacation in New York City. Across the aisle to my right, a man sat down next to the window. I recognized him; he had been on the flight from Albany. I turned to my carry-on luggage and reached for my phone. I texted my friends and wished them luck with the new semester - it was the last time they would receive a text message from me for four months.

I turned off my phone and stored it in my luggage as the cabin doors closed and the flight crew prepared for departure. Northwest Airlines flight 69 pushed back from the gate, ahead of its sister flight to Nagoya, shortly after 12:30pm on Friday, 23 January 2009. It began taxiing a few minutes later as a flight attend informed all passengers that our flight was to continue on to Taipei following our arrival in Osaka. Nearly ten minutes after push back, we met the runway 22L threshold. I looked out the window to my right and noticed an unusual paint scheme on a large aircraft parked at the North Terminal. I tried to catch a glimpse of its titles. After a few seconds, I was able to read the name of the airline - Royal Jordanian.

I continued to stare out the window to my right as Northwest Airlines flight 69 turned onto runway 22L and, with its engines roaring, accelerated down the runway. I watched as the scenery flashed by at an unusual angle only attributed to the g-forces associated with such a rapid acceleration. With a thump of the main landing gear and rattling of the airframe, the aircraft became airborne and gracefully climbed skyward. It banked gently to the right as it flew away from the airfield. I looked down and saw a snow-covered ground. I looked up and saw a beautiful, blue sky with widely scattered clouds. The sight was liberating in every sense of the word.

Goodbye USA. Hello Japan.

Memores Acti Prudentes Futuri - Part I: The Journey Begins

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.

Life's Many Inspirations - A Story of Struggle and Appreciation

It's no secret that life is not always easy. Struggle often precedes appreciation, and appreciation for everything that life offers is sometimes washed out by the struggles we endure. Perhaps I haven't stated the mission of this blog, but I think the title explains it well. The purpose of my writing is to draw inspiration out of daily life. Inspiration does not have to accompany significant, world-changing events; rather, the smallest details of life often inspire people to do better for themselves and others.

While I've always considered myself an optimist, it's not easy to find a silver lining in every dark cloud. My blogging days began in September 2008 as a means of chronicling my life in Japan. My goal was to remark on my significant experiences and subsequent growth. Above all else, I wanted to stay connected with my loved ones in upstate New York as I lived nearly 7,000 miles away. I hoped that my writing would inspire others to do what I was doing, and gather the strength and courage to step outside of their comfort zones and follow the road less traveled.

I am regretful to admit that, upon my return from Japan in May 2009, I lost a lot much of my inspiration. I recall experiencing reverse culture shock that knocked me off my feet. I remember reassimilating into my major of study and feeling that I had lost my focus and desire to move forward. My memories sound bad, but my life was not all bad. I remained as optimistic as possible and befriended many wonderful people following my return. I kept seeking new inspiration and remained confident that I would return to Japan (and Asia in general) in the future.

In the summer of 2010, one year after my return, I stumbled upon a rough and rocky road. I found myself in a demanding unpaid internship that required my presence at odd hours. To make a small income, I worked as a maintenance director at a decrepit community swimming pool, where I made minimum wage for my hard work that went unappreciated by my boss. I felt that I was floundering at a dead end.

In August 2010, I found myself rapidly transitioning between my summer routine and a demanding academic semester. With little time to catch my breath, I was quickly overwhelmed by more responsibilities than I had ever previously handled at one time. My energy quickly drained from my being, and with it went my happiness. I kept on top of my studies by sacrificing most of my time, but I came to realize that I was lacking in most other areas of my life. It was easy to fall into a pessimistic mindset - one that was very difficult to leave behind. I felt that my mental and emotional strength was non-existent.

On an evening in November, I revealed to my mother all of the struggles I was facing. It was during our discussion that I realized I had created my own nightmare by feeding on so much negativity. This was an epiphany - a turning point on this rough and rocky road. I felt, for the first time in months, inspired.

I began to draw inspiration from life's minor details as I pulled myself out of my pessimistic mindset. It was time, I realized, to return to my optimistic approach to life. It was time to embark on a quest for daily inspiration. I worked hard to improve my mindset and salvage the remainder of my semester. In fact, as I see it now, those several months of struggle were not wasteful, but rather a necessary evil for a period of rapid growth. For this, I am very appreciative.

Recently, I have drawn a great deal of inspiration from my loving partner. His approach to life and its many unforeseen hardships has demonstrated to me the importance of keeping a strong emotional core and remaining optimistic in all circumstances. While I've always understood this, it's sometimes easy to forget. I'm fortunate that I have such a person to look to and learn from. I've grown quite a bit in the time I've known him, and will undoubtedly continue to grow as I pay him my respect and admiration.

My writing will continue as I seek daily inspiration. I will reminisce about my life in Japan as nearly two years has passed since I left upstate New York for the Sun Origin Country. Thank you for paying attention to my views of life - your time is greatly appreciated. I'd love to hear your views as well, and above all, I hope that I can provide you, the reader, with some inspiration.

鼓舞 - Kobu - Inspiration, encouragement.

A Great Loss and A Positive Spin on Subsequent Hardships

Recently, a relative of mine lost a loved one to cancer. This came on the heels of many months of various medical treatments and unyielding hope for recovery. Instead, much like a fragile piece of glass knocked to the floor, everything shattered in an instant. The shock wave rippled through both my immediate and extended family. Everyone scrambled to lend a hand and give their support. For many, life had to be put on hold to secure a failing dam.

From this post, there are lessons to be learned and new perspective to be gained. Every cloud, no matter how ominous and grey, has a silver lining. My relative is reeling from her loss, which is further amplified by drama surrounding an estate. The hardships associated with this loss, coupled with said drama, are taking their toll. It's tough to watch a loved one deal with such a difficult situation. The best we can do as a family is give our collective love and support.

So, what lessons can be learned from this? It's tough to decide at first, but perhaps we can use situations like these to reaffirm the importance of family. This, after all, should come first and foremost. It is in family that one can find strength to overcome the toughest obstacles, the greatest hardships, and regain happiness.

As human beings, most of us are aware that life is very short. On a planet that is approximately 4.5 billion years old, a lifespan of one hundred years or less does not leave a mark with respect to time. What we choose to do while we're alive, however, can leave a lasting impact on small groups of people or a much larger population. Each of us is in control of our own lives. We can only control ourselves, and we can only decide for ourselves what type of impact(s) we'd like to have on this planet. No matter what we choose to do, however, not everything will come with ease.

During our most trying times, we should all strive to view the bigger picture - the grand scheme of life. Which paths brought us to our present position? What contributions have we made, and what contributions do we hope to make? Even with the hardships that we experience, are they really that bad? Surely they are not if, from every experience and every hardship, we are able to gain new perspective and learn more about the realities of life. It's important to grieve. This cannot be ignored with certain situations. It's also important to heal and grow, and from this, leave a lasting impact. That's the silver lining in this ominous, grey cloud.

Life is too short to wallow in misery and face defeat by unnecessary drama.

In Memoriam

We're here for you, and we love you very much. Please stay strong.

おみ籤

The title of this post, おみ籤 (Omikuji - literally "written oracle"), was decided after I spent the better part of the morning looking for my おみ籤 from my days in Japan. I have a photo of my おみ籤 posted at right.

For the proficient Japanese reader, you will be able to understand my good fortune after randomly choosing this おみ籤. For the non-proficient reader, allow me to briefly describe what is stated in writing. My fortune tells me that my life will continue to improve. It tells me that I should be honest, and it tells me to work hard and keep on top of my work.

The more separated I become from my days in Japan, the more I miss life in the sun origin country. In fact, Japan, and Asia in general, has a firm grip of my very being. It is without doubt that I will move back to Asia in the future, search for a job, and live there for perhaps a couple of years or more. This has been my dream, and it comes closer to reality each day. Much to the surprise of my classmates and professors, I am not afraid to live this dream. What is the point of dreaming unless you attempt to make each dream a reality?

What are your dreams? More importantly, are you willing to work at achieving these dreams, or are you afraid that your efforts will go in vain? By all means, for your sake and mine, do not give up on your dreams. Strive to achieve your dreams, no matter how big or small they are. If you really want to achieve your dreams, then you will find a way to achieve them. Years from now, as I continue to write these posts, I hope you will realize that I have achieved my dreams, and I hope that you will be motivated to do the same.

After all, dreams are today's answers to tomorrow's questions.

I wonder where that おみ籤 went? I'll have to keep looking.