A First Time Traveler goes to Tokyo

Traveling is such an amazing thing, especially for a first time traveler!  Here is a report from one of our First Time Traveler winners, Christopher, who spent a few weeks in Teen Summer Language Camp in Tokyo, Japan!

My trip to Tokyo, Japan

I recently returned from a trip to Tokyo, Japan as part of the Greenheart travel teen language camp. I enjoyed my time abroad and would like to share it with you.

I left in the early morning from the Orlando airport. I had an early flight to catch, so I was up and on the way to the airport at 3:30 a.m. I checked my bag, got through security, and had some time to get breakfast before I had to board my flight at 5:30. I got on the plane, and fell asleep for most of the flight. I landed in Minneapolis around 8:30 a.m. local time, and had to wait around for about an hour until my flight to Tokyo boarded. After a long thirteen-hour flight, I had finally landed in Tokyo.

I arrived in Japan some time before my program started, so I had some time to do sightseeing around Japan. I ended up seeing Mount Fuji and visiting Kyoto, and then on Sunday, my program began. I took the train from the hotel I was staying at to meet my homestay family. I got settled in to my accommodation, had dinner, and then went to bed. On the first night I was exhausted and fell asleep quickly. The room I stayed in had a futon, which is common in most of Japan. I woke up early the next morning, since the sun rises at 4:30 a.m. in Japan. I had breakfast, and then had to figure out how to make it to my school in downtown Tokyo. I had to take a bus to the train station, and then a train from Kawasaki to Shinjuku.

I arrived at my school and had orientation for the first day. In the orientation, we received our books and learned the school procedures. I only had 1 class that morning, and then I went to get lunch. The other students in the school and in my class I attended were mostly adults, which was a little disappointing as I only ended up connecting with a couple people close to my age. After I had gotten lunch, I headed back to my homestay and had some time before dinner to start my homework.

The rest of the week was mostly the same, I went to class, had lunch, and then did some shopping or exploring the local area before heading back to my homestay. On the weekend, I went to karate with the children in my homestay, and then went to see a movie in Kawasaki.

The second week was mostly the same routine as the first week. At the end of the week, I attended the graduation ceremony at the school since it was my last day. I had evening classes that day, so after the graduation ceremony I went to my last classes before I left Japan. That weekend, I explored downtown Tokyo with a friend I met at the school. I went to Tsukiji market and Harajuku. On my last day in Japan, I packed my things, cleaned my room, and was on the way to the airport. The flight home was uneventful, and I eventually landed in Orlando where my family was there to welcome me home at the baggage claim.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Japan. I got to experience an entirely different culture and learn a new language. Japan is a beautiful country and I would definitely go back.

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Thank you Christopher for sharing your experience!  Learn more about Greenheart Travel’s Teen Summer Language program in Japan, and about the First Time Traveler scholarship program.