Denver

This morning, I opened my eyes and looked at the clock. 3:25. 5 minutes before I was planning on getting up. I showered, got dressed in my nice new clothing, and had a small bowl of cereal. Stef and Nate rode with me to the Oakland airport. Nate took the car as Stef and I waited in the lines to check baggage.

I waited for my 6AM flight, which got to Denver at 9:15. I was expecting to meet up with the Salt Lake City JET Program participants to ride together to our hotel in downtown Denver. I was told that they would be arriving at around 11:25, so I grabbed something small to tide me over until lunch while I waited.

10 o'clock rolled around. 11. 11:30. Not seeing anyone with some obvious connection to JET, I started to worry. I hauled my heavy bags back and forth between the flight schedule monitors, the baggage claim area, and the landing area for the inter-concourse trains. 10, maybe 15 times. Dark, wet circles began to accumulate in the underarm portions of my nicely-ironed, brand-new dress shirt. I began to wonder if I'd see anybody at all.

Noon arrived, and I knew that I needed to act fast in order to make it to the hotel by 1 PM. I withdrew some cash from the ATM, paying the $2 fee, and headed out to the shuttles. I boarded a shuttle and hoped that the driver would know where my hotel was. Almost exactly at 1PM, we arrived at the hotel, which is right in the middle of downtown Denver. Denver's a pretty town with clean, old fashioned architecture to compliment the more modern designs of its many sports stadiums.

As I waited in line to check in, I found that some other JETs were waiting in the lobby. I chatted a bit with one of them and found out that we were supposed to meet back in the lobby at 1:45. I took my stuff upstairs and met my roommate for the night, Kemper. After talking a bit about Japan and JET, we made our way downstairs to the lobby. I made a passing comment about how hungry I was since I hadn't eaten for a few hours, and one of the JETs informed me that we wouldn't be eating until about 6:30 or 7.

After some instruction, we loaded into a bus and drove out to the Consulate General's house for an orientation and reception. The orientation consisted of some important information about getting ID cards and other necessary things. Unfortunately, it was long and dry. There were some funny moments, and I truthfully would have enjoyed it much more had I eaten something. My stomach growled for a good 4 hours.

After the orientation, we had the reception, where we listened to four speeches before having a toast and eating dinner. I'm already getting sick of people talking about making the best of their experience. Dinner was prepared by the Consulate General's personal chef, who's from Japan and doesn't speak English. He made all sorts of sushi and tempura. I hadn't ever had real sushi before today, but I can say that I was pleasantly surprised. I ate a lot of raw fish and actually enjoyed it. Of course, my enjoyment of it might have been affected by my hunger. Who knows? At least I'm starting out on the right foot.

After eating, I mingled with some of the other JET participants, including some of the married ones, but I was mostly content to just sit around and absorb everything. I have a lot running through my mind right now. Doubts creep in, and I wonder what I will do once I leave the JET Program. Then, I remember that I prayed about this and felt strong confirmation that it was right. I also remember that Stef, Kelsey, and I will be having an incredible experience--one that few people get. I remember that I always have banking as a safety net, and that I have gotten the distinct impression that I will get a better idea of what awaits our family while we're in Japan. I must not let doubt drag me down. My confidence got me here and will continue to push me to new heights.

Perhaps my emotions wouldn't be so strong if Stef and Kelsey were here. Today is the first day of a three-week period away from them. I'm definitely not looking forward to missing them. I already do.