“My flight from Tokyo to Madrid”
[Total travel time 70 hours] ✈
I got so sleepy at Tokyo Haneda Airport that I fell asleep, I woke up 10 minutes after the gate closed, ran, and somehow made it in time. I fell asleep right after I sat down. Our airplane landed so that I thought I made it to first destination, London, however, we had to make an emergency landing in Alaska. Because someone’s cell phone got stuck under a business class seat and hit the motor, causing a fire. Apparently, landing somewhere other than the destination is called “diverted.” But there was nothing in Alaska, so we took a 5-hour flight to Toronto, Canada (at this point, I was feeling emotionless and fell asleep).
When I arrived in Toronto, I was on a British airline, but due to labor laws, all the crew members were forced to stay in a hotel because they had to rest. When they announced our situation, I liked how all the guests sarcastically said, “The best flight ever, so lovely.” with a British accent. I lived in the US for five years, so I love to see how they make jokes differently.
At the airport, I was feeling lonely by myself, so I approached the three Japanese people in front of me and we became friends and decided to go sightseeing together. It was an amazing short trip. Apparently, it is legal to smoke weed in Toronto, so the smell of the city was bad, however the sight was beautiful. I need to change airplanes at London, because there is no direct flight to Madrid. When I arrived in London, it was midnight and everyone was sleeping on the ground, it was chaotic. The bus on the plane to Madrid was broken and the plane would be delayed again. When I arrived in Madrid, I waited for the bus for 3 hours, then I was on the bus for 5 hours to get to Leon. Leon is located in the northern part of Spain where I will study for three months from now on. In total it took 70 houses to make it here. It was the most fabulous trip ever in my life.
After I made it to my apartment in Leon, Spain, this feeling came out.
My environment has changed, I feel alone, I don’t know anything, I’m stressed, I’m jet-lagged, and even when I close my eyes tear is came out. I get scared of the darkness at night. No matter how many times I experience this, I never get used to it. When I just moved from Japan to the US, I cried every night, and it was Deja vu of those days. Why am I making such a difficult choice for myself? It was a great opportunity to think deeply. I am here to achieve my goals which is to make friends all over the world, be fluent in Spanish, and discover a new version of me. Being far away with family and friends would never be my favorite thing but it helps me to recognize how they are important to me. I am so excited for new adventures that would be in store here.
