Back Home!!!!

Hi guys! It's my first blog entry from America! Woooo!!!!! I got back on monday after the most horrific flight ever. I will describe to you my series of bad ideas throughout the flight and predeparture later. I'll start by saying it was really hard for me to leave Japan and I really didn't want to leave, so I was really emotional for the last month or so in Japan. Especially my last 4 days in Yamagata!! Change can be difficult! Although, btw, I had an AWESOME time in Taiwan the week before leaving!!! Anyways this is how my last 2 days in Japan went:
After a teary goodbye with friends in Yamagata, I met my friend in Tokyo to go to Disney sea on my last day/night in Japan. I didn't really want to go to Tokyo, but he seemed like he really wanted to see me, even offered to pay for our hotel room. So since he said he would take care of the hotel room and stuff, I let him do all the planning. I figured he would decide what to do since he was from Tokyo and he wanted to see me. However, when I arrived in Tokyo, this was not the case at all. He didn't have much of a plan at all, and there was no hotel room booked. Since he ddn't have any ideas as to where to go and I had lots of baggage, I suggested we find a hotel or locker to put my stuff in. We then had to go to Ueno station and take the subway up to the cheaper area of town. He described it to me as the "Tokyo Slums". Nice. I told him I didn't care where we stayed, a really cheap place and hostel was fine. And I was willing to pay. So the first place we went was a really dingy dingy "hotel/hostel" but they only had a room for a "couple". I told him I didn't want to share a bed but didn't mind sharing a room. I think he got the point. So anyways, we walked all over town, carrying heavy bags, and we got lost. Neither of us had eaten all day. And I was sick and tired and emotionally drained from the goodbye party the night before. We finally found a hotel and he booked separate rooms for us. I told him it might be better and cheaper if we shared the same room, but he insisted. So at this point it became a little weird. I think he wanted to share a couples room maybe. He also was very quiet and didn't have much to say to me. [I hadn't seen him in over a year, but we had emailed frequently during the time he was away working in Sri Lanka--btw he is a Japanese friend but we spoke in English and Japanese]. Anyways, both of us were really tired and I was starting to get sick but we decided to stick to the plan and go to Disney Sea. It was nice. But I got the impression there that he wanted more than just friends. Anyways, I felt like shit at that point and had no appetite and didn't want to wait in lines. And being around him was depressing because he was not much of a conversationalist at all. Anyways, so my last night in Tokyo was kind of a bomb although Disney sea was cool. The next day I met a couple of friends who were in Tokyo to say goodbye, then I went to the airport. I still was feeling not so great at this point. I also really hate flying and turbulence and the day of my flight was rainy and the day before the typhoon. So I bought and drank my last little bottle of plum wine before boarding the plane so I could be relaxed for take off. We sat on the runway for an hour. I took 2 suddafed PMs so I could pass out and my nose could clear up. The suddafed made my nose clear up too much and it ended up making breathing through my nose a very unpleasant and dry sensation. Take-off was shit. I downed 2 mini bottles of Jim Beam which I had brought with me for such an occasion. The captain said it was dangerous for flight attendants to get up from their seats so it was about 45 minutes until drinks were served. I ordered a scotch and soda. Then I asked for more scotch to go with my soda. I really wanted to just pass out and not wake up again until landing in DC. anyways, even after all that alcohol and drugs, I couldn't pass out. I felt pretty bad. So something gave me the brilliant idea that ordering red wine with my dinner might make me fall asleep. Clearly, I didn't know how drunk I was at this point. As I sat next to my Japanese deaf-mute airplane neighbor, I explained the reason for my excessive drinking by using facial expressions of "scared", "shit", and "crashing plane" we also conversed by writing Japanese. She was a good sport and I was thankful that I didn't have to make conversation and could get away with ridiculous gestures and smiles. At this point I started to feel nauseous. This was maybe around hour 3 of the plane ride. 9.5 hours to go. The sickness got worse and I felt myself developing a fever. So I kept getting up and getting back in my seat. I was restless. Meanwhile there was lots of turbulence. At this point though, I didn't care because I was both a) too drunk to care, and b) too sick to care. Anyways, the drunkenness wore off but I wasn't able to go to sleep at all because I felt so bad. Never again will I take Suddafed PM in hopes of falling asleep...Worthless!!! I told the flight attendants I was sick and got some hot water with lemon! woohooo. Then I felt like puking. so I sat on the floor near the bathroom at the back of the plane. Oh man. It was awful. But eventually, the plane landed, and I got home about 20 hours after leaving Tokyo. And now here I am! living to tell this story. Although I am still sick and they think I might have pig flu, but who knows, I didn't want to pay for the 150$ pig flu test so I just payed $150 for some random prescription drugs instead. I'm on day 4 of being unable to eat food without feeling a little sick. And I have yet to taste a nice American microbrew. So, keep your fingers crossed that by Sat, I will be better!!!!!! It's an absolute mindfuck being back in America right now and I'm finding it a little difficult to adjust to life at home especially after living alone for 2 years. I have only seen 2 friends so far, so I can't wait to see all of you guys because I think it will really do me some good!!! Nicky, will you be coming to MD at all before Oct. 15th? I can't believe I'm leaving again so soon!! Love you all. MWAH!