One of the most exciting things was using foreign currency. In Taiwan, they use the New Taiwan Dollar (TWD). I had never used foreign currency before, so I had a lot of fun using Taiwanese money.
After I finished eating, I headed to my terminal. The Taiwanese airport was beautiful, especially my terminal, which was decorated with images of various birds—probably ones native to Taiwan.
Were there any funny or surprising things that happened during your trip?
One thing that surprised me was how stylish the flight attendants' uniforms were—they looked amazing!
Also, during my flight to Osaka, the girl sitting next to me started knitting. I’m not sure why I found that so surprising, but I did! She was really good at it, and whatever she was making—maybe a scarf?—was really pretty.
How did your trip to Japan feel different from other trips you’ve been on?
For starters, my usual flights from Ontario, California, to Berkeley take just over an hour. However, this trip was 14 hours long! I had never taken such a long flight before—nothing even close to it. The hardest part was definitely trying to sleep while sitting up.
How did you feel when you landed in Osaka?
It felt like I was stepping into the first chapter of an exciting adventure. At the same time, I had this deep feeling that I was also stepping into a new version of myself. I knew that being immersed in Japanese culture would change me in small ways.
