Thirteen Plus Hours Later

The flight to Japan was long.

Not “wow that took awhile” long. I mean thirteen-hours-in-a-metal-tube-questioning-time-and-reality long.

Somehow though, I managed to survive it with a combination of reading, music, movies, and random airplane naps. I finished The Eye of the Bedlam Bride author Matt Dinniman’s Parade of Horribles, watched the Stray Kids Dominate Experience, and attempted to sleep in those weird airplane positions that somehow leave your neck hurting no matter what you do.

By the time we landed in Japan, we were exhausted but running completely on adrenaline.

The first mission was figuring out the airport system: getting our JR Rail Passes, grabbing Welcome Suica cards, and taking out yen from a 7/11 ATM. Of course, because it wouldn’t truly be one of my trips without a little chaos, my debit card decided to give me issues. Nothing spikes your anxiety quite like standing in another country wondering if your bank has chosen this exact moment to betray you.

Eventually, we got everything sorted and boarded the train with our luggage.

Well… “boarded” is generous. We dragged those bags through stations like exhausted pack mules.

At one point, my suitcase was so heavy that a teenager/twenty-something guy helped me carry it up a massive staircase. After helping us, he asked where we were from. Without even thinking, I answered, “America… can’t you tell?”

Honestly, between the giant luggage, confused train station energy, and pure exhaustion, I’m pretty sure we radiated “American tourists” from several blocks away.

We finally made it to our hotel and discovered our room was tiny. Two twin beds shoved next to each other, barely enough room for our luggage, and a tiny bathroom with a gigantic step up into it that felt like an obstacle course waiting to happen in the middle of the night.

But we were in Tokyo.

And somehow, none of that mattered.

After freshening up a little, we headed to Shinjuku for a photo shoot. Despite being absolutely exhausted, it ended up being such a fun way to start the trip. Neon lights, crowded streets, that unmistakable Tokyo energy—it finally hit us that we were actually here.

The next day would be our last calm day before the Shinkansen Scramble officially began, and we were excited to spend it shopping, exploring, and soaking everything in before the race started.