Welcome to Japan

Going into my final summer at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University I found myself pondering the prospect of applying for a Study Abroad program. Having never travelled outside the country, save to Canada, I was rather interested. Once I saw that one of the programs was a month studying Japanese language and culture at Keiwa College in Niigata Japan, I was hooked. With the full support of my family I applied to the program and, much to my surprise, was accepted.

Flash forward to June 18th.

Boarding Delta flight 55 (Boeing 777 from Atlanta to Tokyo-Narita) I found that I was nervous, but not frightened. I had every right to be considering I'd never embarked on an adventure of this magnitude before, much less alone. In 13 hours I would be landing at Tokyo-Narita Airport, looking out the window at a land my eyes had never before seen. Rice paddies littered the countryside, with small villages dotting the landscape. Cars drove along the left side of the road. Minutes later we landed at Tokyo-Narita International, and airport filled with jumbo jets from all over the world.

I followed the signs provided in English and cleared customs with no problems. After gathering my luggage I walked down to the Narita Train Station to wait for Doctor Hayabashira, who would be meeting me and a few other students and guiding us to the Shinkansen bullet train which would take us to Niigata. Soon after entering the station level I found myself face to face with Amanda, a student from the Daytona campus. She asked if I was from Embry-Riddle (I was wearing my ERAU baseball cap) and invited me to join her at Starbucks to wait for the others. After a while we caught sight of another student, Toniya from the Prescott campus. Hayabashira showed up soon after and after the girls transferred some money at the exchange, we ran into Mariko, another girl from the Prescott campus, and the last one that would be travelling with us today.

After hanging out at Narita for a bit we got on the Narita-Tokyo Express and went to Tokyo Station. Once there Hayabashira left us and we boarded the Joetsu Shinkansen for Niigata. At this point I had been up for 24 hours, I honestly have no idea where the energy was coming from. Travelling with the girls was fun though, and being in a reverse Riddle ratio situation wasn't terrible either (having more girls then guys). We arrived in Niigata a little over 2 hours later where we were met by Professor Brown, and American from Keiwa College. He drove us to our apartments which are a short walk from the Keiwa campus. After giving me my key and an information packet, I dragged my self and my luggage over to my room. Inside I found my roomate, Alex already asleep. I apologized and told him not to worry, I'd be passing out soon enough. I basically dropped my luggage in the corner, unfolded my bed, and promptly passed out. I'd awake 9 hours later to my first real day in Niigata.

Our apartment in Shibata