So long Mid-West! I am heading to the far east.

My family brought me to the airport at yikes o'clock in the morning on Tuesday, August 17th.  The parting was sad, but I was so excited to reunite with my new husband that I couldn't be anything except thrilled to go.

The flights from Minneapolis to Chicago and from Chicago to Tokyo/Narita were not bad.  The first little flight had a fair amount of turbulence but the second one (which was 12 hours) was the smoothest flight of my life! Not a speck of turbulence the whole way.

I was fortunate enough to have window seats for both flights.  This was especially fun during the long flight when we flew over the Apostle Islands and Highway 61 going up the North Shore at 35000 feet.  It is so interesting and fun to see familiar places from such a different perspective.  I had just driven up the North Shore three days before I found myself flying over the same area.  I will miss Lake Superior...

Karl was there to meet me at the airport in Narita.  My flight was an amazing 40 minutes early and he still made it on time! Perhaps it will be possible to break him of his habit of showing up everywhere late. :) One can hope.

After a car ride, two plane rides, a bus ride, a train ride and a taxi ride,  we finally made it to our new apartment in Ogawa-Machi.  I was so exhausted but Karl made me stay up and eat dinner so that my body would acclamate to the new time zone better.

My first impression of living in the land of the rising sun has been good.  On our first full day together in Japan, Karl and I walked all around town and he showed my many important places.  Like the grocery store, いなげや (Inageya).  We popped into the sweetest little pottery shop to take a look around.  Two sushi plates (slender, rectangular plates) caught my eye and we bought them.  The little Japanese lady was adorable.  She picked up a plate full of little cell phone charms and told me (in Japanese) to pick one out for a present. So sweet!

One funny thing happened yesterday while we were out walking.  And I suppose it will happen every day at noon.  I am not sure from where the chimes come, but at noon everyday chimes ring out a tune many people know.  Edelweiss. You know, like from The Sound of Music?  I was delighted! An Austrian folk song somehow made it out here to the little town of 小川町。(Ogawa-Machi)

Karl is in 東秩父村 (Higashichichibu-Mura) right now picked up his first months pay.  I am currently waiting for the rice cooker to ding and tell it is done so I can continue making rice balls. :) Delicious rice balls!

Fun fact before I leave...every time a write something in にほんご（nihongo or Japanese) you can read the characters by putting one syllable  to each one.  I have to do all I can to learn this language!

さようなら！