Ready for liftoff?

There are many debates about the best way to battle the 13-hour + 1 day jet lag I'm about to face.  I'm going with the stay-up-the-night-before-and-sleep-on-the-plane approach.  Of course, I added it all up.  Knowing my advanced and highly reliable math skills, you should have no fear that everything is under control!  

Ah, who am I kidding? I'm just too excited to sleep!!! (I'll call it "strategy" though, just to sound like I planned it.)

If all else fails, I can always take a nap.

I've looked at the menus for the 14-hour flight overseas.  There's a Western menu and a Japanese menu.  

Western breakfast:  chicken eggs

Japanese breakfast:  fish eggs

Western lunch:  grilled beef   

Japanese lunch:  grilled eel

Yeah, the Japanese meals sound kind of gross, but when you stop and think about it, the Western ones aren't any "less gross" just because they use chicken or cow instead of fish!  Hmm... the first of many examples of the culture shock I will encounter in the next 12 days.  

I'm really looking forward to my business-class window seat on the plane, too.  (Thanks again, Dad!)  If all goes well, my travel time (from my apartment to Harusa's) will be about 21 hours.  

Check back for updates from the other side of the world, starting at 3:00 am EST!   

Did I mention how excited I am!?!  This is going to be an amazing journey!!  I can't wait!!!