This will be a short one. I wanted to review troubles in the last several days. So Thursday and Friday before departing when everything was shutting down in the U.S. for Covid-19 people were saying things closed and nobody would travel. I hadn't spent the time to research it myself. So I believed I would be staying in the U.S. an extra month and began making plans to run my Uncle's Maple Syrup operation for the spring. Then the company called me that night and asked if I could move my flight to Sunday because it looked like Japan may close its borders to individuals traveling from the U.S. early the next week, but arriving on Monday would be good. So I bought a new plane ticket because WHILE TALKING WITH THE COMPANY I noticed my first flight had been cancelled. Interac(who hired me) will cover the previous flight expense. So then I was in a whirlwind of getting everything ready to go and running 700 errands and trying to find clothes and shutting down my bank accounts and withdrawing money and visiting family and making sure every little thing was in order, AND in order 3 days EARLY! I still wasn't 100% certain I would go because I wanted to know the conditions in Japan and what would happen if I became ill while there. I called Interac at 11pm on Friday night and was able to get some questions answered. I also had the chance to look at the case numbers in Japan and nearby countries. Apparently Japan has around 1000 cases. Which is among the lowest numbers even though it was one of the first few countries infected after China. People just wear masks when sick and generally don't touch one another very much in Japan. So in a 24 hour period I went from [I'm going] to [Maybe not going] to [Certainly not going] to [Well I'll ask some questions and maybe I'll go] to [Unless they close the borders.... I'm going].
Had some nice meals with family. Then set about packing and organizing and cleaning before needing to be to the airport at 5am. Obviously as a professional traveler I was awake packing until 11:30pm. But I did roll my clothes to save space. I even brought 5 pair of shoes! 2 dress shoes, 1 rock climbing, 1 running, and 1 for walking around. I brought WAY less stuff than I brought to Africa. Probably because this time I'm experienced and I know I can get things in Japan and don't need to lug around so much. Well I'll add a few pictures and then start the next blog right now cause... don't tell anyone but... I'm in Japan right now and just woke up and connected to the internet.
(My mostly full bag, and the rest of th stuff on my bed went into the backpack. Then a laptop case with 2 laptops. That's everything I brought to live in Japan for a year)
Oh and when Jon(brother in law) picked up my big bag and was standing there holding it the plastic piece holding the strap broke. We just tied it in place and I laughed.
(Can't stop me now, I'm having such a good time, I'm having a BALL!)
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