So, now that I'm starting to settle into things here at |Yamanashi Gakuin, I thought I would sit down and update you guys on my travels. I flew out of Pittsburgh International Airport on Saturday August 29th. From there I had a short layover in Chicago's O'hare Airport (which ended up being a sprint across the terminal due to my flight arriving a bit late) and then a much longer layover in Los Angeles, which was followed by an unbelievably long flight across the Pacific. I can't stress enough that if you are travelling to Japan (or anywhere that requires you to fly over the ocean) bring several things that will hold your attention for extremely long periods of time, you can only sleep so much.
After the long flight I arrived at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo Japan! To my surprise and appreciation, Haneda was the easiest airport I have ever navigated. The staff was kind and efficient and I was able to get my information processed, pick up my luggage, pass through customs, exchange my currency and locate/purchase a ticket for the monorail (the first of a series of trains I took to reach my destination) with incredible ease. I arrived at Haneda around 5:00am and spent a little time on a FaceTime call with my boyfriend back home before departing on the monorail.
The route I took from Tokyo to Yamanashi consisted of a few train rides which lasted in total about 2 hours. I first took the Tokyo Monorail from Haneda to Hamamatsucho, then a train to Shinjuku, another train to Kofu and backtracked a bit from Kofu to Sakaori, then I took a short walk from Sakaori Station to Yamanashi Gakuin. (Sorry I don't have many pictures of the trains/stations, I was exhausted!)
Tokyo Monorail
Train to Shinjuku Station
Pictures from my train ride from Shinjuku Station to Kofu!
Upon arriving at Yamanashi I met the welcoming staff and received my dorm key etc. The dorms are small, but efficient and cozy, rooms are grouped in suites that are made up of a common area, 8 dorms, a small sink/fridge area, and a bathroom with two showers/toilets/sinks. So far I've met two of my roommates (only 6 of our 8 rooms are filled and the two roommates that are here now are helping the internationals settle in during our welcome week).
Floor four, unit W411-418 my suite
W416, my home for the semester (though it's much cleaner now)
My room when it was in a state of chaos as I unpacked.
The dorm rooms at Yamanashi Gakuin are quite nice, the desk has plenty of storage space and the bookshelf mounted to the wall is useful in organizing your things where they won't be in your way. There is also a hanging bar for clothes and such at the foot of the bed and drawers beneath the bed.
After some initial culture shock and a reassuring skype call I settled in quickly and am already enjoying myself in the country I've always dreamed of visiting. There are still moments when it kind of hits me that I'm here, it's almost like a dream sometimes! I'm excited to continue sharing my experiences at Yamanashi Gakuin University here and hope you'll enjoy my coming posts! I'm already planning an upcoming post about all the amazing food I've gotten to try since I've arrived. Until then, I'll be finishing up orientation and preparing for my classes at the start of next week.
またね!
Julia.
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