Day 1-2: Japan Trip

DAY 1/2: Japan Trip

We started our day off by waking up at 2:20 am. My alarm blasts through the quiet room of the hotel room. Groans could be heard from Sydney and Jack before sitting up then doing one more big groan and flopping their bodies back down on the beds. 

" Guys, wake up Kameron." I groan as I struggle to pull my body up to a stilling position. 

"On it." Jack and Sydney say together before attacking Kameron with their arms and legs to wake him up. 

" Sydney, don't forget to wake up Lilly." I reminding her of the youngest on the trip. 

" Oh right." She replies before gently waking her versus the harsh way she had done with Kameron who was still laying passed out on the ground between our two queen size beds. 

We were all sitting up when Sydney decided to do the meanest thing. Turning on the bright lights that lit up the whole room causing our eyes to burn. 

All of us screamed out in pain before she said, "might as well as get it over with." 

We all groaned before telling each other how we slept. Most of us didn't get much sleep due to arriving so late at the hotel and staying up until 9:30 pm. But our minds we so excited at the fact that we were going to Japan. 

We all get up and get dressed. Kameron is the first into the bathroom while Sydney decided to get dressed in the closet that Kameron had previously changed in the night before. 

Everyone was pretty calm and excited. I guess you could say I was excited, but I was also worrying about all the things that could go wrong. So while everyone had a nice pleasant conversation once they finished getting dressed, I ran around the room worrying and talking to myself about all my problems. 

Not too long after we heard a knock at our door. Kameron was the fastest to get it. It was my dad, telling us that it was time to come down to go to the airport. 

We all collected our things and shuffled down. Dad pulled the van around and took our suitcase and put in the back of our van. 

We drove for about 10-15 minutes before reaching the airport. Worry and anxiety began to build. I tried calming myself down as we fasted approached. 

We get out and collected our things before hurrying inside. We were early and decided to wait in line for the rest of the group who were driving up today instead of coming up with us early. 

As we waited the anxiety built. We watch as happy Canadians and Americans merge and head to American Air to fly to their first destinations. 

When everyone finally comes we head over to checking. There were many students I didn't know personally but I had seen them around and Jack had pointed them out before to me. We all wait and before you know it we had our baggage checked and our boarding passes in hand. 

I hug my parents one last time. Even though they have sent me on a trip before they still worry. My mom has tears in her eyes before releasing me and letting me go through security. 

We hurry to get into the security line that was super long. Emily and I start a conversation. She talked about the last time she went to Japan and I talked about the two times I had gone to China. We talked about the ups and downs while we waited. 

For most of the customs and security, Emily and I were separated from the rest of the group. 

We wait for our first plane to take off: Montreal to Dallas, Texas. It was a 4 hour trip that ended up taking only 3 hours. 

I luckily got to sit next to Kameron instead of some random creeper guy. For most of that flight Kameron and I were passed out in our seats. Next to us, Mr. Yu played and talked to a baby and her mother who were traveling to Dallas. 

Once off the plane we had to take those fast subway cars from one end of the airport to a different. 

We all boarded and since there were no seats we either had to hold onto the walls of the car or the silver metal bar to be able to keep balance. The problem was that there was no center pole so I ended up holding onto Jack and Kameron who were both holding on to another student named Arthur whole struggled to hold onto the door.   

When we finally reached our gate we only had a few minutes to text or call our families to let them know that we were okay. And that we had arrived safely to Dallas. 

It wasn't long before that we had to board. Emily and I ended up sitting together with an empty seat between us. Technically, she was suppose to sit in another row. But since there were extra seats on the plane and the person who was to be next to me got a better seat that would have left me with no seat mate. Which probably would be good so I could stretch out and sleep across all three. But I decided to let Emily sit next to the window. The middle seat our be our "storage" where we would put the extra blankets and pillows as well as our bags so we would have more room in our own seats. 

The first hour or two went by fast. Emily and I talked off and on before we got engrossed with our own movies. 

I fell asleep right after we ate our lunch before waking up again and starting to write this entry. 

Emily and I just calculated that we had about 6-8 more hours to go. We have barely just started to fly over the Pacific and over to Tokyo.  

The last few hours were the worst. Luckily, Emily and I slept for about two hours before we landed in Tokyo. 

Once in Tokyo, we scurry to collect our luggage before heading to customs. 

Once through customs, we head to give our luggage to the last airline of the day. This airline was Tokyo to Osaka. 

We go through security before boarding a small jet. 

Emily and I sat next to a nice gentleman who was from Illinois. We talked about Chemistry and where we were from before I passed out for the last hour. 

When we reached Osaka, we collected our things and waited for a bus that would take us to Kyoto. In Kyoto, we were to stay in a hostel. On one of the side streets of Kyoto's busy city. 

The bus ride went fast. Since it was packed I ended up sitting next to a business man on my right and David sitting in the center aisle. Both David and I fell sleep before being jolted awake when the bus reached Kyoto. 

Peter led us off the bus where we collected our bags before starting to walk what was suppose to be a 10 minute walk. Which actually ended up been a 45 minute walk walk due to confusion on where to go. 

When we finally reached the hostel Peter gave us our key cards and shoe lockers before we all headed into our room. 

Girls got to share a six bunk bed room which consisted of Emily, Jack, Lilly, Sydney, and I. 

The boys ended up being on the next floor where two shared one room. And another two shared the other. 

By this point we were all so tired that we didn't talk. The only sound you could hear from us was breathing and the sound of the rolling wheels from our bags. 

---- I hope you enjoyed this first part of my travel to Japan. Currently, it is 3:47 am in Kyoto. Gotta love that jet lag. 

I hope everyone is well. ----- 

Meeting Mamiko

Less than a week and a half. The feeling inside of me builds. It’s hard to contain my excitement as well as my nervousness. I think about being able to see Mamiko again.

Mamiko came to the United States back in October to November through my local exchange program. 
When I was waiting for Mamiko to arrive, pure nervousness took over my body. Many things ran through my head: Will she like me? Will we get along? Will we be able to communicate? I didn’t know what to think.

Waiting for her at the airport was even more exciting. We stood outside the exit doors waiting. We watched as the plane rolled up at the end of a long hall that was connected to the main airport.

“ This is it.” Peter announces. Peter the director of the exchange program.

“ OMG” I whisper now even more anxious.

“ I’m so excited.” Bucci says smiling over at Naomi and me.

I waited. A few people coming through the doors; suddenly a group of boys and girls pouring through the door. Tired from their travels.

“ KONICHIWA! HAJIMEMASHITA!” Everyone shouted startling the group of boys and girls along with other innocent passengers.

The students smiled before going off to find their host family.

I looked around waiting to see if I could recognise Mamiko through the crowd.

I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder and I turn to see Mamiko.

“ I am Mamiko.” She says shyly smiling down at me.

“ Nice to meet you.” I say handing her her name tag.

This would be the start of a good friendship.

The Feeling of Travel ✈️

This is copied from one of my journal entries from my Creative Writing Seminar:
The feeling rises in me. I don’t think I will ever get used to the feeling, feeling excited. Excited for the next step. The next country I will be visiting. I watch the security guards pass and check our bags while we go through the metal detector before waving us along. 
We collect our things before moving out of other people’s way. We find our boarding area before we sit and wait for our number to be called.

Watching all the planes take off makes me even more excited.

I will be up there soon. I will be up there to make my long journey across the Pacific.

Suddenly, our number is called. Nervousness takes over me.

Why does my heartbeat speed up?  

Why is it so hard for me to breath?

I can’t do this?

Too late, I already committed.

We board the plane, finding our seats in a matter of seconds.

More nervousness comes over me as I buckle my seatbelt and staring out the window.

We suddenly start moving. Here we go. I clutch the seat handles trying to think about other things.

I watch as the airport start to disappear as we head toward the runway.

We wait for a couple of seconds before we lurch forward like a rocket. My back presses deeper into the seat; I grip the armrests so tightly that my knuckles turn white. I squeeze my eyes shut and slowly feel us lift up from the ground.

Suddenly, the feeling of us soaring upwards hits me and the popping of my ears starts signalling that we were in the air.

I look out the window watching the ground getting farther and farther away. Watching the cars before they turn into little toy cars before becoming small little moving specks.

We make a loop before heading our way.

Introduction

Hello everyone, I’m ZhouLin. I am your average high school student. I am starting this blog to give my take on traveling to East Asian countries and to tell you my experiences, and to give advice if you are planning to travel to these countries.

I will touch on the culture of these countries, their food, their language (some words you should know that will keep you alive), and places to go, as well as manners you should keep in mind.

A Little More About Me:

I was born in a small town in Nanchang, Jiang Xi, China. I was left in the front of Fenyi Orphanage when I was about two weeks old. I was taken in and lived there for a year before being adopted into a nice American family.

I have played a small number of sports until this year. I played soccer from kindergarten to about sixth grade; I then took a break for about 3 years before picking it up once I entered high school. In seventh grade, I picked up lacrosse for two years before two injuries prevented me from doing so. This past year I decided I played my last year of soccer due to too many injuries.

At my local high school I attend a number of interesting classes. I am enrolled in Chinese 3 Honors, Honors History: 20th Century, Physics 1, Creative Writing Seminar, Algebra 2 (I really dislike math), and Drivers Ed. My favorite classes are Honors History and Chinese 3 Honors. I have some amazing teachers that have helped me this year and I have enjoyed learning from them.

In my free time away from school I spend a lot of time either at home (since I like my own company) or with a couple of close friends. I enjoy drawing (even if I’m not great at it), I enjoy writing (you can check out my WattPad account), off and on singing, learning languages besides Chinese -- I am self teaching Japanese and Korean, and listening to Korean and Chinese music.

I hope now that you know a little more about me. I hope you continue to support me if you already have read my writing and want to know more about Asia or if you are reading my work for the first time; I hope you keep supporting me through this journey that we will take together.

You are always welcome to follow me on my social medias or email me any questions. I am always willing to answer them!

Thank you,

ZhouLin