Wow. That's all I could say once I stepped off that plane. My three semesters of Japanese were instantly shrunk to the 3 letter palindrome of amazement. There is nothing like diving head first into a world so different from your own. People always say how life changing it is to go abroad, but there is no way to truly understand this concept until you can experience it yourself. I could feel nothing but exhilaration with every step I took though Tokyo. The excitement of the unknown was overwhelming. I was in Japan.
On Saturday June 1st at 8:00 in the morning, I hopped on the plane that would take me to my summer home. I had to get up pretty early and, especially after a late night celebrating my sister's high school graduation (Congrats Mylah!!!), I was pretty tired. For a flight this long I knew I had to be prepared. I made sure my phone and computer were fully charged, brought chargers, adapters, 3 books (not including Sudoku), my Rubik's Cube, snacks, and various clothing items to be used as a pillow. I was ready for this 14 hour journey. You'd think I'd get bored of doing things and/or crash from exhaustion. Instead I watched nonstop movies for that whole flight. Didn't sleep a wink, and when I got off the plane, it was 2 p.m... the next day! I still had a whole day ahead of me.
Immediately, everything was different. I heard Japanese everywhere, lines were ridiculously efficient, and going to the bathroom was like stepping into an escape pod. I made it through customs, and stepping through the doors was the craziest experience. I think I was still in the airport but it felt like I was teleported into a mall in the center of town. There were shops everywhere and the train departed from right there. There was so much to take in. My grandma somehow has connections with people everywhere and when she heard I was heading to Tokyo, she put me in touch with her friend Mayankh. Boy was I lucky to have him. He had been helping me find a place to stay (dorms weren't provided with the program) and he came to pick me up at the airport. We went and exchanged some money and looked into some SIM cards/Pocket Wifi, though I ended up passing on everything until I could look into some reasonable prices. I grabbed my bag and just like that we were off.
The monorail left from right in the airport and we embarked for the heart of Tokyo. It was beautiful as we weaved through all the massive buildings on the edge of the water. I was very fortunate to have Mayankh put me in touch with a share house within walking distance of my campus, a luxury almost impossible to find in central Tokyo. No other places had been getting back to me so these accommodations came in at the last minute. Boy were we surprised when we got there. I should have taken pictures to show how terrible this place was. The only way to get in was through a rickety staircase nuzzled into a restaurant. Once in the room, it was nearly impossible to get anywhere. There were beds and various items just strewn about. Many lights and appliances simply didn't work. Every surface was disgusting. Apart from a toilet, there was what I can only imagine was once a bathroom but it had been taken over by so much random crap and debris that most of it was unusable. I describe it so terribly because I didn't end up staying there, but I was so stressed about finding a place to live that I almost was willing to put up with such a poor refuge. Although I was really hoping to get settled before orientation the next day, I ended up booking a hotel for a couple nights. What a good decision. It was very nice too and only a 20 minute walk from Keio. I dropped off my bags and we hit the town.
We walked around in the nice weather (very overcast but pleasantly warm) and eventually got on the subway to Shibuya. The sight of the infamous Shibuya Crossing was even more breathtaking than I could have ever imagined. I didn't quite recognize the name until we got there and I was hit by the epitome of stereotypical Tokyo. The massive electronic billboards and the swarms of people were unmistakeable. It felt like walking straight into a movie. We walked past massive shops and flashing lights, and I couldn't stop smiling. I should have been so exhausted after the day I'd had but I felt wide awake. It felt really late but the night was still young. We stopped into an izakaya and ordered so much food. I wanted to experience it all so I asked Mayankh to go crazy. I didn't think he really would but the food here is so cheap and so we shared a ridiculous amount of dishes. I had my first ever beer and was introduced to an amazingly sweet drink called plum wine. We sat and talked for what felt like hours and although I literally only met Mayankh that day, it felt like we'd known each other for years.
We walked some more, stopped in some shops, and finally he dropped me back at my hotel. Only then did it hit me that I was exhausted. I was worried I was keeping him out when he had work the next day. I thought it was nearing midnight but then I realized it wasn't even 8:30. I felt like I had been awake for a month but in reality it was more like a solid 28 hours. My first taste of Japan was a mouthful and I couldn't have asked for a better introductory experience. I slept so well that night and that stupid smile never left my face.