What a long flight!

Wow. Okay, ummm, 14 hour flight, 3 movies, 3/4 of a book, 2 hours of sleep and 1 very tired girl (that's me). Can't type...must sleep...zzz...
-Sam

Why is it daytime?

We're on the Narita Express from the airport to Tokyo. Arriving, getting our bags, clearing customs, and getting on the train went smoothly.

We barely mde our connection at JFK. Our plane left Boston late. Just like the old days of running through airports. Our flight to Tokyo was very nice as I was able to get a cheap upgrade to business class.

But, neither of us slept much. We tried, but leaving at 11:45 AM makes it tough to sleep along the way. We each slept for a couple of hours. Now we're tired, but it's 3 PM (2 AM back home, but that's the last time I'll think about that). We're going to relax for the rest of the day once we finally get to our hotel. And, an early bed time!

Airport

Well, our trip is about to start! Here we are at the gate waiting to board. The flight leaves at 9:50, and it's 9:41. The connecting flight at JFK is very tight, so fingers crossed! Today was my last day of school, and my friends are at the talent show. They will be missed greatly, but this trip will be super fun!
-Sam

Good Byes

Even when you are excited about a trip, it can be tough to say good bye. We're waiting to board our first leg of the journey. But saying good bye at the airport curb was tough. We know it will be fun, but we'll miss the rest of our family back home.

Final countdown

Our flight leaves in less than 14 hours. And, I need to get some sleep. So, it's time to really start packing. I've got a good list, and, of course, I packed all my gadgets first. We're ready and excited. No last minute snags (so far!).

I'm trusting Google that this says 3, 2, 1 blast off!

三、二、一、爆発を

Packing

Right now, I am in the early stages for travel. School ends on Friday, the day we leave and teachers think it's fun to have a project and quiz due on Tuesday. And of course it wouldn't be French class without homework due on the...very...last...class. *SHUDDER* So right now it's just planning, packing, and excitement for me!

Trip Map

It's tough to find a map of Tokyo with enough English on it to be useful to someone who doesn't read Japanese (like me!). Google Maps is pretty good online, but I wish there was something with all English place names. Luckily, you can search for things with Google Maps, and that works pretty well. I am sure we'll get lost many times...

I created a map with some of the sights we'll see for our trip. Check it out. Good luck keeping up with us! Here's a static image from the map to give you a taste.

One nice thing about customizing Google Maps is that we can take advantage of maps that others have made. Here's a good one with places to go in Harajuku.