Journey to Tokyo, Japan
I sat down on the plane seat with signs of relief filled with mixed emotions still sweating from rushing and trying to catch the train to Narita Airport. I missed the last bus that would have made my day easier. After all, I was finally heading back home for good. As the plane started to take off and was ascending higher, and higher into the clouds, it felt like an end to a great journey and an experience I will never forget.
I was always fascinated with the Japanese culture and the entertainment ever since I was a kid, from its history of Feudal Japan with the Samurais and Ninjas, to watching animation TV shows like Pokemon, to playing the Nintendo video games like Mario, and Street Fighter. I’ve always wondered about Mount Fuji and being able to climb the vast mountain someday or experiencing the spring season when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. Also, the Japanese language was remarkable to me and hopefully, I could learn to speak the basics. Without a doubt, I became a fan of their culture and it was my dream to someday visit the wonderful and beautiful country of Japan. In March 2010, the dream became a reality and a turning point of my life. Off I was on a plane by myself to Japan.
In February 2010, I was graduating from technical school in the United States Air Force in Supply Chain Management at Lackland, Air Force Base. We had to fill out a sheet where we would like our duty station to be or a “dream sheet” they called it. It could be anywhere around the world, state side or overseas, any place you would like to go depending how lucky you are and what your career field was. We had to fill out at least five places and of course, I had Japan as my top pick followed by Italy, Spain, Germany, and Hawaii. I remember standing in line in the hallway with my fellow classmates waiting to be called into the office to have our duty station to be assigned to us by the Master Sergeant. Being an avid sports fan,...