V is for Victory!

After two hours of delays, an Olympic-worthy dash 37 gates long, 12 hours in a single seat and a two hour bus ride, I can officially say that I have settled in Japan.

Granted, my luggage is still in Tokyo and I still haven't managed to work my phone, but I must say I am having a great time.

During the last forty minutes of our plane ride, Japan was visible just underneath the light overcast that covered the main island of Honshu, Japan. Mountains with snow covered peaks popped up in our midst, giving a surreal, postcard-like picture of Nagoya from above. Upon landing, my friend, Lawrence, whom I met on the plane and is also studying here at JCMU, met up with more people who will be joining us at JCMU for the summer. With a couple moments of confusion, followed by the realization that we had to fill out forms in order to enter the country, our group made our way through customs and on to the baggage claim, where I discovered that my luggage was still in Tokyo. Good thing I thought ahead and brought extra clothes

Tip: Bring an extra change of clothes whenever you are on a plane, any time when you are separated from your luggage. If you are on an international flight, I would recommend a set of sleeping clothes and normal day clothes.

The lady who was working with baggage claim already knew that my bags were not in Nagoya, and she was very helpful with filling out more forms in order to get the bags shipped. They should be here sometime tomorrow, along with the other bags that students left behind in order to leave room on the bus.

I even got to practice some Japanese, of which the lady was very supportive.

The approximately 2-hour long bus ride from Nagoya to started off with spectacular sights of the city, including the Gifu castle. It was dark outside, so I was unable to get a picture, but the sight of the castle is just one of the many interesting buildings and places that I hope to see while in Japan.

Upon arriving at JCMU, we took off our shoes before we entered the building, and received our room keys. The apartment where I am staying is quaint, with a completely different shower structure, and a small, personal room complete with a bed and desk. The floor plan of the room, mahogany wood and sliding doors give me the sense that I am really about to embark on a journey that I have never done before.

So, it's June 1, 11:51 pm in Japan, and June 1, 10:51 am in the United States. I'm off to bed after a long day of traveling, and I will attend orientation tomorrow and possibly get a look around Hikone, (the city where JCMU is located) as well as pictures of Japan Center for Michigan Universities.