On September 5, I kissed my husband goodbye and at 4:15 pm I boarded my plane at Tallahassee International Airport. As excited as I was to begin this student exchange, the reality of being away from my loved ones for a year was starting to hit me. I am sure the security guard was impressed when I rolled up to pass through security with a tear-streaked face and struggling to speak. Luckily, the TSA decided to pat me down in the hopes of cheering me up! Man, those guys are always looking out for you....
My fight itinerary included a stop in Dallas, where I would catch up with my classmate, followed by a 5 hour layover in San Francisco. I welcomed the long layover because I knew we would have to pass through security again as we changed over to the international terminal. As my luck would have it, I was chosen AGAIN to be patted down. The security line was not too long but the agents were incredibly slow as they passed people through. I struggled to not panic as I watched my carry-on luggage sit on the conveyor belt, where anyone could easily grab it, as I waited to get groped and fondled. I wouldn't recommend that you have anything less than a 2 hour layover if you come through this airport.
The flight to Haneda International Airport was on Japan Airlines and I cannot praise this airline enough. The seats were roomy, the staff was exceptional, and the food was delicious. If you want advice on choosing an airline to book, I would recommend American Airlines because they are partners with Japan Airlines and both times I have flown with them, they have been wonderful. After we landed in Tokyo, our layover was 2 1/2 hours. We retrieved our luggage and were able to re-check it for customs relatively close by. This was a good thing because my classmate had two heavy checked bags to struggle with. Our next stop was immigration. The process was quick and painless. Persons with foreign passports have a separate line and there was adequate staff on hand to ensure that the correct forms were filled out and the line kept moving. Our Visas were inspected, our fingerprints and a picture were taken, and we were on our way!
The last leg of our flight journey was our arrival in Kansai International Airport! By this point, my classmate and I were starving, bone tired, and we wanted nothing more than to get to our University. Unfortunately, we had one last segment, a shuttle bus. I was so happy to get off of
airplanes that the two hour shuttle seemed like a luxury. We were escorted to a van, our luggage crammed into the back, and off we went!
The ride to Kyoto was very emotional. I was mentally exhausted but I couldn't stop thinking about the last three years. I had struggled with self-doubt but I never wavered from my goal of studying in Japan. The fact that I was in a van, almost to my destination, my life-long dream come true, moved me to tears. When my classmate and I finally arrived at the University, the driver helped us unload our baggage and we walked towards a building with Kyoto University of Foreign Studies emblazoned on the front.
My year in Kyoto had officially begun!
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