THE EAGLE HAS LANDED! :D

Here's my first journal entry from last night (Friday)! I don't know how often I'll be able to post, since we have very limited access, so enjoy! I'm sorry for any sleepiness-induced spelling/grammar errors. :P

Nov. 18, 2011

I am here. I have finally arrived in Japan! Right now I'm snuggled under the covers of my room at the Training Facility dorms, and though I am much too tired to be writing anything, I'll try to give an update.

The plane ride was super long, but I can't say that I didn't enjoy it. Actually, I think I am officially over my fear of flying. :) The takeoff wasn't nearly as scary by my third flight. My favorite part is right when the plane's about to land and you anticipate the wheels touching down with a bump, but then they don't and your heart leaps, and then the plane wobbles, glides a little further... and fakes you out again before startling you when it actually does touch down. I barely made my last flight and had to run to the boarding station, but I made it and flew into Osaka at around 5pm. Afterward my training group and I had to take an almost 2 hour local train + shinkansen (bullet train) combo trip before we finally could consider ourselves "arrived."

I haven't been able to call my family yet to let them know that I've arrived, which makes me a little sad. When we were at the airport I was going to use the international pay phones, until I realized that it was 4am in America. Then, after we got to the training facility we couldn't find an international pay phone to use. :( My awesome roomie, Chelsea let me use her skype to call home, but I had to leave a message. We have been stealing a scant 1-2 bars of unlocked wireless here, but other than that I'm in a technological wasteland until I can get a phone plan. Hopefully I can call them back tomorrow.

Dude, I just got a spark of internet. Google is in Japanese on my screen. :P

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For the record, Chelsea and I stayed up all night talking. :) But this moring I don't have a headache or anything despite waking up at 8am! I think I may have avoided jet lag all together!