Let's go to Japan!

Y'all. Traveling is EXHAUSTING. And this was WITHOUT a husband and children. So for those that have had to travel with extra humans, I applaud you. 👏👏👏👏 Seriously.

So to start the day off the parentals and I left to go to the airport at 5:30ish in the morning. This was hard for me because I have been out of a rhythm of getting up that early since March (thanks 'rona). Saying goodbye to my sweet girl Hazel had to be one of the hardest things I did. The idea that she does not know that I won't be coming back is ABSOLUTELY HEARTBREAKING. So Nathaniel you better take real good care of my sweet girl! Give her all the kisses, belly rubs, pets, scratches, ALL OF IT. 

So we make it to the airport and it is dead y'all. Which made parking easy. Get checked in then it is off to go through security, alone. 

CUE THE WATER WORKS. 

Y'all I thought saying bye to my dog was hard, saying bye to my parents was even harder. Moving to Abilene was one thing but moving across the world is just.....ugh.

I stroll through security with little wait time and then it really hits me. I am going to Japan...and all alone. Mildly frightened, I made my way through the airport stopping at a little gift shop to get my last connection to Texas, San Antonio specifically. 

LOOK HOW CUTE THIS SHIRT IS! 😄 (Yes I know it's wrinkly. It was bundled in my backpack for 15+ hours.) Definitely going to treasure this piece of clothing.💗

Once I had my tshirt and my coffee pick-me-up from Starbucks I arrived at my gate to wait until I boarded my flight to DFW and y'all my flight was FULL. I'm glad it was only an hour-ish flight.

So once landing in DFW I anxiously made my way onto the Skylink (which was SO cool!) to my next gate. I say anxiously because I had NO idea what or where I was going. This voyage was only the 3rd time I have ever flown and I was praying I was following signs correctly to where I need to go next to get on my direct flight to Japan. But I did follow directions correctly so I did find my gate!

This airplane was HUGE. I wish I had taken pictures of just how massive this aircraft really was. The first section was business that had these pod-like seats, then the next section was premium economy, then last was economy which was the area I was in. They provided blankets and pillows to assist in comfort of the flight. There were probably about 15-20 people in the economy seating, while 1 person was in premium. No one was in business, and I am not surprised. I had inquired about upgrading to business at the gate (per pressure from my sister and brother-in-law) and y'all it would've been $3000 to upgrade to business. Yea, no thanks. I just stuck with my economy seat for my 13.5 hour flight. 

Let me tell y'all though, those flight attendants were so amazing, sweet, and patient. I was not as needy being that I was flying alone but there was a family of 4 in the rows next to me with 2 young girls (maybe 4ish and an infant) and the attendants were so good to care for them. So much so that one of the attendants brought out this hanging crib that attached the wall in front of the row that the woman sat in! 

I also got to experience my first Japanese meal (as close to authentic for being an airline meal). It was alright, tbh. Keep in mind I am a SUPER picky eater and yes I know I will have to acclimate to food in Okinawa, BUT I will still have the commissary on base to help satisfy my American tastebuds as needed so I will not go hungry, don't worry. 

*Side note- The noodles in the left square container with the added noodle sauce was not appetizing. It was a weird spicy bitter taste so I did not finish that.*

The whole flight itself was rougher than I thought. It was helpful to have WiFi (although I had to pay for it, which wasn't awful) and movies, mostly all pretty recent. I watched Ford vs. Ferrari and The Call of the Wild (this made me start to miss my Hazelbelle 😟). But the other times I ATTEMPTED to sleep. I say attempted because it was so hard to get comfortable enough to. The seats didn't lean back all that well and because of how they sat and staggered us on the flight I could move to the seat next to me to lean against the window. Then there was the issue of an incoming migraine with about 3 hours left in the flight. Let me give you some advice, don't take too many painkillers without monitoring time between taking them before the prep of landing an aircraft. The descending and turns the plane takes can take a toll on your stomach....😬

So the flight was not as easy to get through as I had originally thought. Now I know when I go back to the states for my yearly visit, I know how to prep. For real.

So I have touched down in Tokyo and Haneda International Airport and it is humid which made it hot. At that point, the first thing I wanted to do was get my luggage so I could change into shorts but the first thing that had to happen was to go through a series of stations/rooms to be COVID tested. I was so relieved that it was not the nose swab test and instead it was a saliva test that required us to go into a small, stand up cubicle. Basically, you are given a small test tube and a funnel that fits at the top of the tube and you spit into it until it has reached a line at the bottom of the tube. Simple enough. You then give it to one of the workers and move on to the next station which was to verify the COVID questionnaire given on the flight then go on to a gate to wait for your results. I had no idea that it was rapid testing, but it worked out because I would not have wanted to wait around for results to come via email. So I waited about 45 minutes for my number to be called and........

NEGATIVEEEEEE. I ain't got the 'rona. Woot woot!

The next station was to verify quarantine plans so the country will know that quarantine will happen to help slow the spread. So even though I am negative those coming into Japan are required to quarantine for 14 days in case you were exposed to someone during the travel time. This also goes for the military bases/locations. 

I made my way down to immigration and customs and was finally able to retrieve my luggage which was grouped with others' luggage from my flight. From there I was able to find a bathroom to change into comfier clothes.....and experience my first bidet....and it...was.....strange. But that's how Asia does things so I guess I gotta jump on board. 

The next thing that had to happen was to find the shuttle that would take me to Yokota Air Base. This is where some anxiety started to settle back in. I was trying to find where to go and luckily they had an information booth with employees that guided me where to go and I went the way I was instructed but when I had gotten outside the terminal, nowhere was the shuttle to be found. Then here comes the panic. It was 4 pm on the dot so I shouldn't have missed it. Was I late? Were they not picking up today? Did I come to the wrong terminal? I was about to break down in tears, cuz ya know anxiety, when I turned to the entrance of the drive-thru when I saw the big blue bus pull up at the end. So there I go hustling down this sidewalk with 2 giant rolling pieces of luggage, totally looking like a tourist. I rolled up to the bus about to get my luggage into the undercarriage of the bus when 2 of the other passengers about to board offered to toss it under for me. So sweet of them.

I am checked into the bus then about 30ish minutes later, we are off. I'll be honest I didn't pay much attention to the scenery on the way to Yokota. I was hitting my limit hard and started nodding off. But what I did see of Tokyo it looks a lot like our cities in America. Big buildings (probably bigger than many of ours) highways, traffic, etc. 

So we are about 15 minutes outside of getting to the base when the driver stops and parks. WE GOT STUCK BEHIND A CAR THAT HAD FLIPPED ON ITS SIDE. (Yes the driver was fine. He was outside his vehicle calling emergency services.) This took an hour y'all. At this point, I was just done and exhausted and ready to be at the base hotel so I could pass out.

Emergency services finally came out and flipped the car and had us pass on through. I did stay up at this point to look at the scenery. It was dark now so I didn't get to enjoy as much, but I did get to see the street that the base entrance was on, lined with American style stores and restaurants. So it seems that the Japanese people who own those businesses knew the marketability of this strip in front of the base and took advantage of it. Good thinking.

I finally make it to the hotel, get checked in, and make it to my room where all I want to do is shower and pass out. It had been such a long exhausting day that I didn't realize I hadn't eaten in some time and it wasn't until I had curled up into bed that my stomach reminded me by growling at me for food. 

And this is where my angels of friends messaged me at the right time to ask if I was hungry and I didn't hesitate to say no. They brought me chicken nuggets from McDonald's and let me tell you they hit differently. Not only because I was starving because they were just prepared differently. The best way I could explain these nuggs in Japan is that they felt/tasted like heartier pieces of meat. They were SO good and so satisfying. The fries were just as good and my friend had told me that Japanese McDonald's fry in different oil than America does so that's why it tastes better. C'mon America, get on Japan's level. 

So that was my first day of travel.