Traveling for the first real time by yourself on anything, whether it be flying, driving, or even riding the train, is a freeing experience, a feeling of accomplishment overwhelms you, signifying that you can accomplish things on your own, with your own capabilities. I loved the first time I flew by myself, I loved the first time I drove by myself, and I loved the first time I officially went to school from my home by winding streets, multiple trains and a bit more walking. The feeling of being a traveler is sadly just slightly wearing off. I love traveling, and I don't intend to be a stagnant puddle here in Tokyo (seeing as there are many rivers to follow, parks to explore, and people to meet), but I do have to say, it feels kinda of nice to be a pretend Tokyo-ite. I like riding the train with the feeling that I live in Tokyo, that I know where I'm going and am capable of navigating Tokyo hitori de (by my lonesome). Putting in my earplugs like the real Japanese around me, I got a sense, a taste of what living here full time would be like, and it was a great feeling.
After successfully navigating the mess that is the Tokyo train system, I made my way to school in perfect time for a little bit of a Japanese history lesson to understand the historical significance of Yokohama (our destination for the day) as well as Kamakura (you'll find out soon why...). While I may be better versed in modern Japanese history (Meiji Era on..) I knew basically nothing about the Heian Era, or the Shoguns, or why the capital moved from Nara to Kyoto. Spending a little time reviewing the basic history of Japan really helped provide a big picture overlook at how old and how much history this country has, how lucky I am to be here to be learning about the things I love so much while experiencing them. Getting to be here taking the classes about this country in this country I know is going to be an amazing experience that I'm looking forward to.
After flying through over a 1000 years of Japanese history, we all traveled over to Yokohama to walk around and explore the area. We first went to Chinatown (中華街), and hit up a bit of lunch. After a hot hot hot walk up the hill, we had a fabulous view of the city and the bay.
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