Learning the Ground Before Walking It (Week 1 Japan)

Trying to figure out when to arrive at the airport was tough because of the government shutdown and how it was impacting TSA. Luckily, SFO hires through a third party, so I wasn’t too worried about security lines. Plus, I had ZipAir Express, which for $20 lets you skip the baggage line.

I arrived around 1 PM for a 4:10 boarding and 4:45 departure. Right away, the checked baggage line was insanely long—an estimated 1.5 hours. Not a problem for me and my express pass.

Security line was non-existent, I practically walked straight through.

So now I had three hours to kill. I grabbed an overpriced sandwich and called my family to say goodbye.

When I bought my seat online, I tried to maximize my chances of sitting alone. I picked a seat in the last row of the plane and opposite of one other reservation, hoping no one would take a middle seat in the back. Unfortunately, it was a full flight, so my plan failed. I did notice, though, that a few rows in the back only have two seats with extra space where the window seat would normally be—definitely booking that next time.

Once again (2024 Japan trip), I failed to plan how I’d survive an 11-hour flight. I downloaded a movie and a reality TV show called Badly in Love. The start of the flight felt like it took forever—we sat for ages before takeoff. Then came the crying babies. Still, that wasn’t even the worst part.

The turbulence was brutal. Normally it doesn’t bother me, but being cramped in my seat made everything worse. My back, shoulders, and—surprisingly—my ankles were all tense. I kept hoping I’d fall asleep and fast-forward through some of the flight, but it never happened. I cycled between music, the show, and just closing my eyes, trying to rest.

About two hours in, they served food.

Honestly, it didn’t look great, but it wasn’t bad. Kind of like a roast with rice—nothing special, but solid for airplane food.

I’ll skip the part where I kept checking my phone, hoping the arrival time would magically change.

During the last hour of the flight, my body hit its limit, so I stood near the bathroom. That’s where I met my first supporter of the trip—Alfonso. We talked about our travels, and he was great company. At one point, he even tried to give me 5000 yen (~$31), but I declined. I didn’t feel like I’d earned anyone’s support yet—I hadn’t even started walking.

I gave him my business card, and he said he’d follow my journey. That alone, meant the world to me.
If you’re reading this, I hope your trip is going great, bro.

We finally landed at about 7:45pm, but one day in the future due to time zones.

Unfortunately, the hard part wasn’t over. After the long flight, I had to get through immigration and customs within an hour to make it to my phone activation appointment (Mobal, which gives me a Japanese number).

Immigration was easy. I handed over my passport and declaration form, and they gave me my Zairyu card (Japanese ID) and stamped my passport. Customs was even faster—I basically walked through.

The problem was that my Mobal pickup spot was in a different terminal, so I had to take a bus—three stops. I got there at 8:58 PM. They closed at 9.

Thank God. In Japan, people actually close on time—unlike in the U.S., where places sometimes shut down early.

I got my code and finished setup, but found out activation only happens during business hours. So… no phone until tomorrow. No data, no number.

Luckily, my U.S. carrier gave me one day of emergency travel data.

After two trains, one subway, and a 10-minute walk in the rain, I finally made it to my hotel in Tokyo. I grabbed a teriyaki chicken/egg sando and a piece of fried chicken… and then it was finally time for bed.

While laying in bed I thought back to my conversation on the plane with Alfonso. I told him my dream was to travel all over Japan—and eventually the world. He said, “You’re doing it right now, so enjoy it.”

That hit me like a truck.

I’m not dreaming anymore. I’m actually doing it. Living it. Right now.

This was the first real moment where it clicked: I’m no longer stuck in my room behind a computer. I’m out here, on a journey. Like I told my mom a long time ago: “One day? or day one”
Well… it’s no longer “one day”… This is day one.