21 Hours Till Take-Off

Tomorrow I will be getting on an airplane and flying back to America for the first time in almost a year. It's been just shy of a full 365 days, something like 51 weeks I think. I've absolutely worn myself out with travel preparations, coordinating transportation to and from all airports involved, packing my bags, cleaning my house, and making plans (seriously, I have a two-page "to buy" list and an absolutely packed schedule for every day I'm in the States). And emotionally, I'm fluttering between being absolutely ecstatic at to see my family and friends in America, and really sad to say goodbye to a lot of my ALT friends in Japan who are moving back to their home countries. This time of the year is just full of changes, and I'm all over the place! If I can survive the next 36-48 hours, I think I'll be OK!

Getting home involves:

1) Sleeping at a friend's house near Takasaki Station tonight because I live too far away
2) Taking the 8:25 a.m. bus to Narita airport (arriving around noon) on Friday
3) Taking an 11-hour flight from Narita to Minnesota (of all places)
4) A 2-hour layover which is hopefully enough time to go through customs and re-check in, plus eat something
5) A 3-hour flight to Raleigh, landing around 7:00 p.m.
6) A 2-hour-ish car ride to my mom's house, arriving around 9:00 p.m. Friday night, 8:00 a.m. Japan time.

Basically, it'll take 24 hours to get home. Uffff. I can do it, though! Ganbarimasu!

By the way, I find it fascinating that according to Google Maps (and personal experience), it takes 35 minutes to drive the 28 miles between Greensboro and Winston-Salem. And yet at the same time, it takes the exact amount of time to drive the 6.2 miles between my house and Takasaki Station.

Goodbye!