Moving Half Way Around the World Without Even Visiting First

Before moving to Japan, and after arriving, many people have asked if I'd been to Japan before. My answer, nope. This shocked a lot of people. Why move half way around the world, commit to at least a year, without even knowing what you're getting yourself into? Good question. I was excited for the adventure, but that first week in Japan was intense.

I arrived at the airport, early despite having my flight delayed. Someone was supposed to pick me up from the airport. He had a picture of me, I had no idea who he was. He arrived an hour late. Now, maybe if you know the person, it's not that bad, but to be standing in an airport in a foreign country you've never been to with no idea how to speak the language, where you're going, ways to get there, or who you're waiting for, it's a bit nerve wracking. And then loads more fun when you get paged on the PA system and told to make a phone call to someone with a completely different name than the person you were told would get you. And then to try to figure out how to work a public phone.

Once finally on the way, we take a train to Shibuya (one of the busiest station in Tokyo) on a Saturday evening. Running after two guys, carrying heavy bags after hours of sleeplessness. When we arrive in Azamino, in the suburbs where I will be working for the next year, it's snowing, hard. By the time we arrive at the school, my black jacket is white with snow. I was told, repeatidly, that it was very rare for it to snow that much in Tokyo.

In the following weeks, several people told me I had met them that night. This was a surprise to me. Thankfully, I was soon taken to a hotel following a lady from head office. Before she left, she asked if I needed help with anything. I asked for directions back to the train station, she told me "go up, down, left, right, left and right." Exact words. Japan is very much a place where "the streets have no names" to quote U2. So glad I have a great memory.

Exhausted, I feel asleep almost immediately. To be waken up to an earthquake. Welcome to Japan!!! And yet, after the ordeal of the previous day, I was excited to start my adventures.