Kelly Anderson

Our first full day in Mitaka was filled with meetings with local dignitaries, traveling to and from various parts of the city, and dodging the rain. Jamie and I started the day with a mellow jog in Inokashira Park, a large wildlife preserve with a pond, zoo, and walking trails just around the corner from our hotel. It drizzled lightly during the morning, but we managed to get in a nice run as well as some plyometrics in the park. After breakfast at the hotel, we walked to the Ghibli Museum, which showcases the work of the Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli and documents the history of anime in Japan. It was fascinating to see how much the animation process has changed as computers have become increasingly advanced. Animators used to to draw thousands of images of the action in their films, changing each picture slightly so they would create an illusion of realistic motion when shown rapidly in order on a roll of film. Computers have made it much easier to produce hi...

Our group made it through the long journey to Tokyo with no complaints. Everyone met in the morning at Dulles eager and ready to go, and we boarded our noon flight in high spirits. I am proud to say I won the “lightest packer” award for our group. My medium-sized suitcase and backpack could have both easily been carry-ons, whereas several others in my group had to check two bags.    Our crew assembles at Dulles airport Just getting to Japan was an adventure. The 13-hour plane ride was challenging at times, but also an enlightening experience. While in the air, I experienced an wide range of emotions - excitement, nervousness, discomfort, and sleeplessness - but I still enjoyed some parts of it. It was interesting to try Japanese airplane food (pictured below), watch a bizarre  Japanese movie about post-apocalyptic Tokyo, and talk with the flight attendants and other passengers.  Breakfast on the flight  The wide range of amenities on the p...

The big day is almost here! Five months, nine Japanese lessons, and several trips to local sushi restaurants have (hopefully) prepared me for three weeks in the Land of the Rising Sun. Tomorrow I will board a flight from Dulles to Tokyo and spend the next 21 days in Japan. I will be traveling with a group of other students from my school and a faculty chaperone. I will stay with a host family in Tokyo for several days. Our group will spend time in Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, and Hiroshima. Our itinerary includes meetings with local elected officials, a visit to a high school, a day at Tokyo Disney World, and free time to explore with our host families. The flight to Tokyo is scheduled to take 13 hours, and it will be my first trip to a foreign country. With that in mind, I created a list of predictions for my trip. I want to embark on this adventure with an open mind, so I don't want these ideas to be any kind of pre-judgment about what my experience in Japan will be like. Instead, I w...