California Here I Come!

My journey has begun and I am super excited. I was feeling a bit worn down towards the end of this year, but my energy level has risen due to the great people I have already met on this trip. Kim and I woke up this morning at 2:45 and left at 3:30 for the MSP International Airport. We arrived at around 4:45 and I waited in a long line to get checked in. I made it on my plane to Chicago O'Hare, but we were delayed by a medical situation on the plane. It was really fun to see a group of 7-12 grade students on a travel program to Washington D.C. They were very excited and I really want to experience this with the students of Rockford sometime in the near future. Hmmmmm..... Maybe next year? The plane ride went smoothly and we arrived in Chicago and caught the next connection heading to San Francisco, California. There were about 30 other JMFers (Japan Memorial Fund) on the plane so I had an opportunity to meet some and enjoy their company. We arrived in California and headed to the Sheraton Gateway Hotel for our orientation.

After eating lunch orientation began around 2 p.m. David H. Statterwhite, Executive Director of Japan-United States Educational Committee, gave us an overview of the program and expectations. He has lived in Japan for over 36 years and was a Fulbright student at the age of 19. I didn't realize this, but this is the oldest and largest exchange program in the world. Over 6,500 teachers have been on this program and they have shared their experiences in Japan with over 1 million people. Today, I feel honored to represent Rockford School District on my journey.

After a long day of getting ourselves orientated, we were off to the house of the Consulate General of Japan. It was a beautiful house with a grand view of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. We were welcomed with speeches and dinner. I have never had sushi before, but most of it was superb. Hopefully, as we slow down in Japan I can ask what I am actually eating so I can share specifics.



I hope I am able to share my experience with you (Internet Connection?). You are welcome to ask questions, please be patient as I try to collect answers and post it to my blog.

See you in Japan.