In Ｊａｐａｎ！

Ｉ’ｍ　ｓｏ　ｓｏｒｒｙ　Ｉ　ｈａｖｅｎ’ｔ　ｇｏｔｔｅｎ　ａ　ｃｈａｎｃｅ　ｔｏ　ｐｏｓｔ！　Ｉ　ｄｉｄｎ’ｔ　ｈａｖｅ　ａｎｙ　ｉｎｔｅｒｎｅｔ　
ａｃｃｅｓｓ　ｗｈａｔｓｏｅｖｅｒ　ｕｎｔｉｌ　Ｉ ａｒｒｉｖｅｄ　ａｔ　ｍｙ　ｈｏｓｔ　ｆａｍｉｌｙ’ｓ　ｈｏｕｓｅ.　Ｉ　ｎｅｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｆｉｇｕｒｅ　
ｏｕｔ　ｈｏｗ　ｔｏ　ｕｐｌｏａｄ　ｐｉｃｔｕｒｅｓ　ｏｎｔｏ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｃｏｍｐｕｔｅｒ　ｏｒ　ｈｏｗ　ｔｏ　ｈｏｏｋ　ｕｐ　ｍｙ　ｌａｐｔｏｐ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅｉｒ　ｉｎｔｅｒｎｅｔ，　ｓｏ　ｉｔ　ｍｉｇｈｔ　ｂｅ　ａ　ｗｈｉｌｅ　ｂｅｆｏｒｅ　ａｎｙ　ｐｉｃｔｕｒｅｓ　ａｒｅ　ｐｏｓｔｅｄ．

Since　Ｉ　ｄｏｎ’ｔ　ｈａｖｅ　ｍｕｃｈ　ｔｉｍｅ，　Ｉ　ｗｉｌｌ　ｈａｖｅ　ｔｏ　ｓｈｏｒｔｅｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｐｏｓｔｓ　ａｂｏｕｔ　ｔｈｅ　
ｂｅｇｉｎｎｉｎｇ　ｏｆ　ｍｙ　ｔｒｉｐ　ｓｏ　ｔｈａｔ　Ｉ　ｃａｎ　ｃａｔｃｈ　ｕｐ　ｔｏ　ｍｙ　ｃｕｒｒｅｎｔ　ｓｔａｔｅ．

Ｔｈｅ　ｏｒｉｅｎｔａｔｉｏｎ　ｉｎ　Ｃａｌｉｆｏｒｎｉａ　ｗａｓ　ａ　ｌｏｔ　ｏｆ ｆｕｎ，　ａｎｄ　Ｉ　ｍａｄｅ　ｓｅｖｅｒａｌ　ｇｒｅａｔ　
ｆｒｉｅｎｄｓ！　Ｔｈｅ　ＹＦＵ　Ｓｔａｆｆ　ａｎｄ　ａｌｕｍｎｉ　ｗｅｒｅ　ａｍａｚｉｎｇ　ａｎｄ　ｖｅｒｙ　ｈｅｌｐｆｕｌ！　Ｔｈｅ　１０　
ｈｏｕｒ　ｐｌａｎｅ　ｒｉｄｅ　ｔｏ　Ｔｏｋｙｏ　actually ｗｅｎｔ　very　ｗｅｌｌ　ｂｅｃａｕｓｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｐｌａｎｅ　ｗａｓ　ｂｉｇ　ａｎｄ　ｃｏｍｆｏｒｔａｂｌｅ，　ａｎｄ　Ｉ　ｇｏｔ　ｔｏ　ｓｉｔ　ｎｅｘｔ　ｔｏ　ｍy　ｎｅｗ　ｆｒｉｅｎｄ　Ｌａｕｒｅｎ！　Ｗｈｅｎ　ｗｅ　ａｒｒｉｖｅｄ　ｉｎ　Ｔｏｋｙｏ，　ｗｅ　ｔｏｏｋ　aｂｏｕｔ　ａ　２　ｈｏｕｒ　ｂｕｓ　ｒｉｄｅ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　Ｔｏｋｙｏ　Ｐｒｉｎｃｅ　Ｈｏｔｅｌ．　
Ａｌｏｎｇ　ｔｈｅ　ｗａｙ　ｗｅ　ｓａｗ　Ｔｏｋｙｏ　Ｄｉｓｎｅｙ　ａｎｄ　Ｔｏｋｙｏ　Ｔｏｗｅｒ．　Ｉｔ’ｓ　ｂｅｅｎ　ａ　ｄｒｅａｍ　ｏｆ　ｍｉｎｅ　ｔｏ　ｓｅｅ　Ｔｏｋｙｏ　Ｔｏｗｅｒ，and I was in awe when we arrived at the hotel. When I looked out the window of my room, Tokyo Tower was directly outside! I took plenty of pictures! My friends and I roamed around the hotel that night and tried on the yukatas provided by the hotel. I fell asleep around 10:15 PM and woke up at 3:00 AM because I couldn't sleep anymore (jet lag)! We went to breakfast around 7:00 AM. The food was very Americanized but delicious. Some of us then took a bus ride to Tokyo Station to board our train. We had time to spare so we were aloud to roam around the station as long as we were back at a certain time. We all got on the same shinkansen (bullet train), and the ride was amazing! I was able to see many sights of Japan, and I stared out the window the entire time and took several pictures.

I was SO nervous to meet my host family! When I stepped off of the shinkansen I saw Sakura (16-year old host sister) holding two signs that read "Welcome Shamrin", and one even had a picture of my favorite Japanese actor (I had told her who he was over e-mails). I then met my host mom and host grandmother! I couldn't stop smiling! We took numerous pictures and then made our way home. On the way to their house I saw the A-Bomb Dome and Hiroshima Castle. We arrived at their house and spent the rest of the night looking at magazines, watching television, and opening the gifts that I brought for them. My other host sister, Yae, arrived home around 6:30 or so. She is SO amusing and fun to be around. She loved the candy that I brought! I did not meet my host father the first day because he was working very late. That night we had salad, steak, and potato wedges for dinner!