Waiting

So here I am, sitting in the Chicago International airport on my 6th Mother's Day, waiting to board a plane for the first time to Tokyo, Japan. Can't say I ever planned on realistically heading to Asia, especially on my own, and it's never been at the top of my list for places to go.

The morning has been a smooth one so far. I was up before 6, in the shower and still packing. The boys trickled up/down into the living room all before 6:30. We were out the door a little after 7. They dropped me off at the Madison airport (so glad I didn't have to drive to Milwaukee) and it was an easy check-in. AA surprisingly didn't charge to check my bag, but I suppose if you're paying that much for a flight maybe it's a perk? It was a 30 minutes flight over to Chicago where I now sit for the next 3 hours before boarding the Narita plane. It's always quite the walk from terminal to terminal here, and today was no exception. I took my time doing it this go around, and also stopped to exchange currency. $150 got me 10,000 Yen. I'm a little worried at how far that will get me. But all I really need for the next few days or so is a few meals and a bus ticket from Narita to Shin Yokohama Station. This flight leaves at 1:30 pm and I will arrive in Tokyo at 4:15 pm on Monday afternoon, then a 2-hour bus ride to the station. Thankfully someone from the office is supposed to meet me there to get me to the hotel.

The feeling I have right now takes me back to a few other travel "firsts". My first flight by myself to California, my first international flight to Italy and my first culture shock in Paris with Keith. All "life-changing" events, and I'm sure this one will be no less.

Off to grab my last American meal for 10 days, and soak in the comfort of "home".