After 1 year living in Japan, a look back
October 21, 2023: The last meal at home, Chinese delivery.
October 21, 2023 at a gas station the day all the utilities were disconnected and my water cooler rental and left over bottles were picked up
October 18, 2023 - before I sold my most valuable possession in Los Angeles, I drove this 2019 Ford Taurus Limited to work one last time to say goodbye to more than 100 coworkers, some of whom had flown in (for an unrelated reason) from New York.
Moving Day (October 19, 2023)
After a buddy of mine, a taxicab driver, dropped me off at the car rental building near Los Angeles International Airport for me to pick up my rental car that I would use for getting around between Thursday, October 19th and Sunday, October 22nd.
The last time I would drive a car would be this 2023 Chevrolet Malibu.
October 22, 2023: With eight air boxes and 81 ocean boxes packed and shipped, there was nothing left but my 2 carry-on items (the 22-inch rollaboard and briefcase) and four checked bags. Before I loaded these into the rental, a couple of movers were hired to drag out items that would be disposed of to the alley for collection by the City of LA Sanitation Bureau that morning. They got rid of the TV, TV stand, this couch and everything else, including my bed.
October 22, 2023 - after returning my cablemodem equipment, I drove to the airport, filled up the vehicle with gasoline and returned it. Here I caught the shuttle bus to the terminal to then catch the hotel shuttle bus to the Sheraton on Century Boulevard.
Now arriving, my home for the next two days, so I would have somewhere to sleep and use the Internet before my one-way flight out of the United States.
October 22-23--the last two days I would ever spend as a resident of the United States. Here, I stayed on top of everything that I need to make sure was ready to go: furniture rental in Japan, my new apartment, on-boarding at my new job, making sure my new Japanese phone number would work by the time I arrived, paying the shipping company and making delivery arrangements in Japan, and so on.
The view from my room.
10/23/23 - Monday night before going to sleep in L.A. for the last time.
Tuesday morning, October 24, 2024
10 o'clock A.M. I've packed up and checked out of my room and now I'm about to board the shuttle to Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport.
Time to check in for my flight! (Fun fact: the extra two bags cost me $200 per bag!)
After passing through the TSA security checkpoint, I finally made it. My old boss texted me, "Good luck!" She was the best.
My ride, a Boeing 777-300ER powered by twin GE90 turbofan engines.
I didn't hear any boarding announcements at the gate at all! The gate agents find me and tell me to hurry, or I'll miss my one-way flight to Tokyo! I run down the jet bridge with my USB cable dangling from my extra battery and moments after stepping aboard, the door is closed behind me. Finally, I made it to row 50 where I took my seat.
Take Off! [Video]
Now approaching Tokyo Haneda
Landing! [Video]
It's Wednesday, October 25th, 5:30pm in Haneda, Tokyo.
Hours later, I finally checked into my hotel room at the Toyoko INN Haneda near the airport.
My first dinner as a resident of Japan; Udon and Katsudon - pork cutlet over rice with Udon soup. On the radio was 80.0 FM Tokyo.
Thursday, October 26th at dawn.
Thursday, October 26th at sunrise.
Walking to my new neighborhood for the first time.
The entrance to my new home.
Waking up in my new home for the first time.
There is so much to this story but that's just between me any my closest friends. 😅In any case, after taking my day job and music career the furthest it could go in the United States, there were many signs it was time to--to quote Van Halen--"Dream another dream. This dream is over." Whether it's my music or my social life or almost everything else, living in Japan has significantly improved my life, and hope to be able to live here for as long as I will be allowed to do so.