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Here I am on Wednesday in Hawaii at the airport- almost home! I meant to upload this the other day but I’ve been so out of it since coming back and that trip home OMG was very difficult.

I didn’t get much sleep because I had to get up so early that morning to finish cleaning my dorm room and packing. I finally got it all done just in time and when I had the dorm mother check my room she seemed so happy and kept saying, “so pretty-you did a great job!” I was a little shocked but maybe some of the students don’t do a very good job cleaning when they are on their way out.  I really liked the dorm mothers and father. They were so nice. I will miss the dorm.

So I left to Nagasaki Station in a cab and when I got there I got on a train for 2 1/2 hours to Fukuoka. Nagasaki is kind of small so they don’t have a big airport. I was a little worried about getting lost being on my own trying to find the airport, but I was surprised I was able to communicate with people to ask for directions much easier than I anticipated. Once I got to Fukuoka I had to get on a subway train to the airport then take a shuttle bus to the international part of the airport. Lugging around my 2 heavy pieces of luggage with my backpack was so hard! Im still sore from it, and having to go through escalators and elevators and switching transport! I was so happy to finally make it to the airport.

When I got to the airport though they said there was something wrong with my flight and that I might have to stay overnight. They would provide a hotel but I was really hoping I wouldn’t be stuck there because I was so exhausted. I got there around 3:30 and was stuck there until about 7pm. Luckily they were able to get me on an earlier flight at the last minute, and they even gave me a free dinner for my flight being messed up! It was so good! They were so nice to me and I even got a first class seat from Fukuoaka to Honolulu!

Here is the airport:

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And here is my dinner:

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And first class was so nice for the long flight! I was able to take a nap easily.

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I realize now the importance of packing light! I even had sent home 2 boxes in advance to get rid of my duffle bag. Even with two bags of luggage instead of 3 was still just too much.

Emily Doyle

<i>*PDXAbroad Scholarship</i> ใ“ใ‚“ใซใกใฏ! (Konnichiwa!) Hello! My name is Emily Doyle and I am from Portland, Oregon located in the beautiful northwest. I am currently attending Portland State University majoring in Japanese Language, and working on my TESL Certificate to teach English as a second language. I am 34 years old and a returning college student. This recent switch from full time job status to full time student status has been a very challenging life change for me. However, it has been equally rewarding with my own personal development and meeting so many new wonderful people. In my free time I love to be outdoors and take advantage of my surroundings. I am a foodie and love to experiment with recipes and try all kinds of new food. I also have a passion for exercising and I lead online motivational groups to encourage others to eat healthy and exercise. My passion for exercising stems from my love of Martial Arts that was passed on by my father to me at an early age. My father studied and taught Martial Arts for many years, and he is one of my major influences fueling my desire to study other cultures. This September I will be studying abroad at Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies in Nagasaki, Japan for about 6 months. Studying in Nagasaki will allow me to immerse myself in Japanese culture, and improve my speaking abilities immensely which I could never replicate in my studies in Portland. This experience will be a once in a life time chance to learn about Nagasakiโ€™s rich and tragic history in person. I am extremely excited to learn in a new country and meet new people as well as sharing my journey along the way.