Arrival and First Couple of Days

Hey everyone!

It's been a busy first week here, so this first post will probably be one of the longest. Before I begin I'd like to apologize for my poor photography and writing skills. 
I left Manhattan at 3:45 last Sunday, and spent about 28 hours in transit to Nagoya via O'hare in Chicago and Incheon in South Korea. This put me here at about 10:30 A.M. local time on Tuesday (about 7:30 P.M. Monday back home). 

MHK Regional Airport

Chicago O'hare International Airport

Incheon International Airport

One of the first things you see after arrival at
 Chubu Centrair International Airport in Nagoya

Obligatory Boarding Pass Photo

It was incredible to see the differences between the tiny airport I'd left out of and the vastly different places I stopped along the way. Upon arriving, I had a short journey through Customs and Immigration, where I received my Residency card for staying in Japan. This couldn't have taken more than fifteen minutes before I emerged to two Japanese students with a sign that said "Welcome to Japan." The two students, whose names escape me (I blame it on having barely slept for 40 hours), helped me catch a bus to Fujigaoka, where a couple of other students then helped me get a cab to my dormitory. After unpacking, I managed to stay awake until about five, before I fell asleep and slept until seven the next morning.

The next couple of days were primarily filled with orientations, but there were still some exciting experiences along the way. I had my first actual meal in Japan, which was basically the equivalent of Union food at K-State, as well as my first visit to a Japanese ramen shop. A small (by American standards), but delicious, little restaurant directly across the street from my University. 

First Meal

Ramen at Three Little Pigs

The ode to the fallen pig that made the meal possible

I also visited a Japanese grocery store for the first time, which was surprisingly similar to an American store, aside from me being unable to read the labels. 

The Grocery Store

There is a multitude of parks and malls around Nisshin and Nagakute, which means there's always something to do within walking, or biking, distance. I am also very close to the Linimo, an elevated Maglev rail system that connects to the Nagoya Subway and from there (virtually) all of Japan. 

Picture from the Linimo. The train is elevated,
automated, and mostly clear.

While there is quite a bit more to share, I will be making that into another post later on! To sign off, I will leave you with Japanese McDonald's.

The fries are the same, the drinks are smaller, but the burgers are waaaay better than back home!

Good night everyone back home!

Welcome!

Hey everyone!

Welcome to my blog! While there isn't much here right now, over the next few months the content will grow as there will be weekly (at least) updates about my time at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies (NUFS). For those of you who are wondering, I'll be back in July. As for those who want to keep in touch while I'm away, you can find me on Line, Skype, Google Duo, Google Allo, Groupme, Snapchat and pretty much any other social media. Also feel free to comment below! I hope you enjoy my posts and thanks for taking the time to check it out!