Up in the Air!

 

My Japan Airlines flight from Chicago to Narita had a partnership with the UN Biodiversity Coalition which was a good start to the trip, in my opinion. After sending many final text messages stateside I boarded the plane to my new home.

The gentleman sharing a row with me was quintessentially Japanese. I could have snapped a creeper picture while he was napping, but that would have been, well...quite creepy. So instead, close your eyes and I'll try and paint an image with my words. Well, you'll have to keep them open if you have to read at the same time, but see if you can pay someone to read it out loud for you. 

He was middle-aged, of medium build, not yet balding, but with a few gray hairs to his name. He wore thin rimmed glasses and clothes that were nice yet pragmatically comfortable for the 13 hour plane ride ahead of us. By the time I had taken my seat, he had already taken off his loafers to sneak into a pair of comfy slippers. He was soft-spoken and courteous, a very classy gentleman.  

Oh and he wasn't shy about pulling down his surgical mask to finish his first can of beer at 10.30 in the morning! :)

Disclaimer: These pictures were taken illegally. Well, they were taken after the stewardess had asked us to turn off all electronic devices, which probably warrants a stay in some sort of air flight purgatory. I couldn’t help it though, the view was so spectacular! But just so you know, in case your moral compass is more linear than mine, just close your eyes and scroll down or something.

Leaving Chicago

Arriving in Narita

I was relatively groggy and exhausted when I got to my room at Meitetsu but I felt oddly at home here. It's my little place of heaven for the next few weeks here I guess. My room on the 13th floor is just big enough to be very comfortable. If I didn't have so many things that I'm too emotionally attached to I think I could make a home right here.

  

Japanese Ingenuity! Sliding door between the bathroom and the shower.

And the view is pretty awesome!