i'm going to japan! | 14 hours in jal economy скачать в хорошем качестве

i'm going to japan! | 14 hours in jal economy

reflection yet another trip! so grateful for these opportunities to travel. it's not always that a trip makes it out of the groupchat... it's difficult to plan and get everyone to agree on a time and place. surprisingly, we all committed, and it didn't take that much convincing either. planned this trip back in February, and one by one, we all booked flights (unfortunately different flights). it's funny that us 4 took 3 separate flights... and one friend has never been out of the continent of north America, so this was a huge step for him. first real trip out of the groupchat and we're going around the world! the countdown began... 90 more days... 45 more days... before we knew it... one more week... one more day... see you on the other side of the world in 14 hours. a great way to end the semester. a little more than 12 hours after the last final exam, the travels began. I was the first one to leave, but the last one to arrive... was the longer itinerary to fly with JetBlue and Japan Airlines worth it for the legroom? Overview: quick 7am flight with JetBlue to Boston -- 5 hour layover -- long haul 14 hour flight with Japan Airlines to Narita... it's been about 8 years since I've flown to Asia... forgot what those long flights were like. it's almost unimaginable what it's like to be confined in a plane with an upright seat for 14 hours... that's longer than a 9-5 workday... all I remember is that as a kid, those long flights meant watching as many movies as possible and no sleep. once you land, it feels like a whole week has passed. if I thought the seat was small as a kid, how will I survive after growing almost a foot taller... thankfully had an aisle seat and lots of legroom. constantly got up and walked around when I had the chance. flights went much better than expected. JetBlue has consistently done me right, and made an already short flight even shorter. Got to relax in Boston for a bit longer. Feels like my home airport now with the number of times I've been there. got something to eat before the long flight, but that pizza was definitely a ripoff in my opinion. then it was time for boarding! excited and nervous for the long flight... there's no turning back after getting on. it could've been 14 hours of suffering... boarding was really interesting. I've seen people online talk about the efficiency of boarding with Japanese people, but experiencing it first had was so interesting. a packed 787-9 flight took only about 15 minutes to board... and we didn't even use our boarding passes, all we had to do was scan our face... On the flight: Japan Airlines has some nice food, snacks, and drinks throughout the flight. really good seats, comfort, and service. mostly watched movies to pass the time. got up and walked a lot taking advantage of my aisle seat. even took a nap. 14 hours passed a lot faster than I thought, but those last few hours were definitely pushing it. was beginning to feel miserable but held it together and finally landed! landed 4pm japan time (3am eastern) which was definitely a weird feeling... took a while to get through customs, but my friends were already at the airport waiting for me. exchanged some currency at the airport (surprisingly a specific exchange at the airport had one of the best rates!)... and located the train to get to our airbnb... i may have overestimated my navigation skills because I was immediately humbled by the complex system... not being able to speak or understand Japanese was a little bit intimidating asking for help... luckily, we stumbled to the right place and got on a train in the right direction! (I have a history of taking the wrong train haha)... but it was pretty easy to get a hang of. only at first, the trains might be a bit confusing and complex, but not for long! one of things I looked forward to the most about japan was the reliable transportation. the trains are no joke! the "subway" was going maybe almost 80 miles per hour! and they're really clean, quiet, and reliable. made it to our accommodation close to 7pm and settled in... that place was small! it looked a lot bigger in the images and for 4 people, it was definitely going to be a bit of a squeeze. nonetheless, it would be fine. tired from the 20+ hour transit, but jetlag kept us up... time to check ramen off the list! our first meal was a nice bowl of ramen from nearby. extremely walkable and peaceful neighborhood! then finally called it a night after a very long day. more adventures in the upcoming days! so far so good... at least we all made it in one piece and on the same day!