The beginninzzzzzz…

Greetings from Tokyo! Believe it or not, after a year and a half of planning, I’m finally here!

First impression: Jet lag. So much jet lag. Thirteen hour time differences are brutal. I consider it a major coup that I lasted the entire day at the office yesterday and didn’t wake up until 6 am today (Saturday). Even the cat is jet-lagged, which is kind of hilarious to watch (except when she’s driving me nuts).

Everything went smoothly on the flight over. I successfully checked both suitcases right at the 50lb weight limit and got myself and the cat through security without mishap. During boarding, I got called up to the counter and handed a new plane ticket – for business class. Woohoo! I LOVE business class – especially for a 13 ½ hour flight! So that was a great blessing. About two hours before the end of the flight, the kitty decided that she was sick of the whole thing and started meowing, but thankfully, she was not loud and didn’t continue for too long. Heck, by that point, I was also done with the whole thing. My colleague, Ben, met us at the gate (Yay for diplomats!) and, thanks to my extreme type A tendencies that had me following every single rule down to the letter, the kitty flew through animal inspection, and customs was a breeze.

On the drive into Tokyo, I saw Mt. Fuji at sunset. It was lovely, and by all reports, a rare sight during the hot/humid summer months. I also saw the Tokyo Sky Tree, which is quite impressive.

Remember when I said that I am very type A? Remember how I had all of the cat’s paperwork meticulously prepared and organized? Remember this when I tell you that, upon arriving at my temporary apartment on the Embassy housing compound, I discovered that I had lost the case with my passports, government id, a credit card, and the key to the suitcase with important stuff like shampoo. ARGH. I blame relief from extreme worry about getting the cat into Japan. Or jet lag. That works too. But here is where we get Cultural Experience #1: Japanese people actually turn in highly valuable lost items! Thanks to my sponsor’s awesome Japanese skills, we learned that Narita Airport’s lost & found had my case. My wonderful colleague Jennifer used her mad hammering skills to break into my suitcase, and Ben kindly got up early the next morning to go out to the airport and pick up my case. Situation resolved!

So, I’ve seen Mt. Fuji, had my property restored to me, and survived an entire jet-lagged day at the embassy (complete with getting internet set up). We’re off to a great start!