Travel log

In the string of backlogged updates, here's the first, chronologically - the trip over.

I got into Logan at about 7am, and immediately regretted packing such a heavy duffel bag. My rolly, square-shaped bag was manageable, but the shape of the duffel bag made sure that the weight was as unevenly distributed as possible. Awesome. I was sure I was going to pay, like, $500 in oversize baggage fees.

Luckily, my check-in attendant was awesome. She checked Elsa's papers first, weighed the bags, figured a few pounds' difference was negligible, slapped destination stickers on them and waved me on my way.

Elsa wasn't liking the airport, but a chunk of breakfast sandwich was an adequate bribe.

The first flight was fairly uneventful, aside from me worrying about how she'd do. But there was no whining, no crying, no nothing. I did have the good luck of sitting next to a young Japanese math teacher who was on his way home from a conference at Harvard. He was extremely friendly and kind enough to help with my reading (I had a textbook open in front of me 90% of the time), commending me for my study.

I don't think I'll ever forget what he said to me. "Most foreigners go to Japan because it's Japan, not because they want to talk to the Japanese. You are different; you will do well."

Then the furball got to take a pee break in Dulles (they have super cute dog bathrooms in the terminals!) and we hopped on to the main leg of our journey.

I got bumped up to economy plus in order to balance out the plane. I didn't complain.

Elsa did get stressed out, but more in heartbeat and breathing irregularities rather than whining and crying, and mostly on takeoff/landing/turbulence. Again, small chunks of my in-flight meals helped, as well as when they darkened the cabin. I got to catch up on my movies, watching the new Pirates of the Caribbean and X-men: First Class before passing out for a few hours.

I also met my guardian angel on this flight: a marine assigned to Okinawa, V*. He was a few years older than me, and talked nonstop about his wife and two kids back home, and how he couldn't wait to finish his assignment and get back to them in the States. He also offered to guide me through customs, as our connecting flight was the same and he'd made this trip five times in the past year.

"Grateful" doesn't even come close to covering it.

We landed and I was like a baby chick following its mother. We grabbed our bags and headed to the Animal Quarantine section of customs, where Elsa was descended upon by vet techs cooing in Japanese about how cute she was. Her paperwork went through quickly, and she was in and out in less than half an hour. They commended me on my organization, and I thanked them for all their help.

Then was actual customs. About two minutes spent there.

Then the ticket counter to pick up our connecting boarding passes. That was an adventure, as Elsa needed to be put in the animal cargo section in a big, plastic kennel. Again, done quickly, and we ended up at our gate with an hour to spare.

I slept through to Okinawa, where by the time I walked off the plane and into baggage claim, our flight's bags were already on the carousel. The animals were in their own section off to the side, and a very tired, but no-worse-for-the-wear Elsa bounced back into her soft-sided carrier. Two bags later (they check your claim tags before you're allowed to leave, which is awesome!) I got to see HP waiting with two of his aunts, Midori-obasan and Kiyomi-obasan, who both gave hugs and greeted me in a broken mix of English and Japanese. Then one of the english teachers from his base school came by with the school van ("Party van!" is apparently a running joke at their school) and drove us to Okinawa-shi.

By now, it's 10pm local time. I get the grand tour, feed the pup, put her in her kennel, and pass out, enjoying the air conditioning.

All in all, my travel here was pretty spectacular. Not only was I surrounded by super friendly, helpful people, but it was like the world saying "We know this sucks. Let's make this a little better."

Total time in transit: 24 hours
Time, adjusted: ~36 hours (9:23am depart Boston, 8:45pm arrive Okinawa)

Not bad for flying to the other friggin' side of the planet.

Thus ends the obligatory oh-god-flight post.

Now we can get on to the good stuff.

Quick update from the terminal

Sitting at my gate at Logan International. Got through security with Elsa no problem, no oversize luggage fees (!!), and managed to snag breakfast before plopping myself down and hooking up to wifi.

Elsa's been a peach, surprisingly. Aside from her usual three seconds of "NO NO NO" every time she has to go back in the carrier, she's been great. Not a peep, not a whine, just a lot of curling up with her nose pressed to the mesh closest to me. Her breathing's a little fast and her heart is off the charts, but she's doing far better than I thought she would. The little furball never fails to impress me with her adapting skills.

Also, I gave her chunks of ham from my breakfast sandwich. I think that helped.

We start boarding in ~20m. Take off half an hour later.

Another update to follow in DC if there's wireless.

T minus five days

I'm in a surprisingly peaceful state of mind right now. My YAY:OHNOES ratio at any given time is about 50:1, which is remarkable for a bouncing ball of neurotic tension like me.

I went on a shopping spree for new clothes for Japan. Lightweight, breathable fabrics, less low-cut jeans, layering tanks, that kind of thing.

And bras. Because Japan a) will not have my size and b) puts frills on everything.

Why would I want frills there? Why?

So the essentials are there. I also shipped across 90% of Elsa's supplies to arrive by Monday or Tuesday, and the dog food will arrive at Adam's door any day. I switched her to the new stuff here as well, and she goes bonkers over it. The cats try to steal it, too - so taste is clearly not an issue.

The Animal Quarantine Service has been awesome. A few days ago, I received this e-mail:
---
Dear Sxxxxx Xxxxx,

Have you prepared the certificates for your pet ?
If there are any omissions in the certification when you arrive in Japan,
the animal must be returned to the exporting country on your own responsibility
or undergo a detention inspection at our facility for the necessary quarantine period up to 180 days.

We can check your certificates before your arrival.
Could you send the following documents to us before getting endorsement by fax or e-mail (within 1MB)? (It is too difficult to correct them after getting endorsement.)

1.Form A, Form C 1/3, Form 2/3 and Form C 3/3.
2.Certificate for Rabies serological test issued by the designated laboratory.
3."APPROVAL OF IMPORT INSPECTION OF ANIMALS"

Note: These original documents are required when you arrive in Japan.

I would appreciate your response.
田中　咲子/Sakiko Xxxxxx
---
I was like "Proof them for errors before I get there? OKAY."

So all of her paperwork checks out, and I just need to have my vet and APHIS fill out their respective sections.

AND my visa is in my passport and ready, AND I got my approved Yakkan Shomei in the mail, AND I made copies of my birth certificate, passport, marriage license, and tax exemption letter.

My schedule for the home stretch:


Today: Omiyage shopping, farewell party, packing
Tomorrow: Packing, banking (travelers checks ftw), do any and all last-minute clothes alterations
Sunday: Packing, movie with Dad
Monday: Elsa's vet evaluation
Tuesday: Elsa's APHIS appointment, work
Wednesday: Fly out of Boston at 9:30am. Arrive in Dulles at 12:30, arrive in Tokyo 3:00pm local time,
arrive in Okinawa 8:45pm, where HP, his aunts (!) and his boss (!!) will pick me and Elsa up from the airport.

I've tried to keep my schedule relatively free to leave wiggle room for last-minute things, like shopping or paperwork or mental breakdowns.

All in all, though, despite the incoming hurricane? Everything's pretty okay so far.

Looking at airfare

Looks like United is the only carrier to allow carry-on dogs on international flights. That works fine for me - it's $125 to keep her in the cabin, $225 to check her in the cargo hold. And it's so worth it for her to not be in the big, noisy, terrifying cargo hold alone.

Now to talk to the vet about possible sedatives. Yes? No? The second leg of the journey is 11 hours, so I'm not sure how restless she's going to get. Maybe just stuffing a kong with something really difficult will be good enough.