24 Hours on Board My family and my friend come to the airport early in the morning to send me off because I am going abroad to study in the US for 2 years. I have to connect 3 flights from Bangkok to Raleigh. I check in at the counter of United Airlines. We have a little time to say goodbye to each other before I walk through the gate, through which the visitors cannot enter. My mother doesn't say much, but I know she will miss me a lot because I haven’t planned to go back home during my study in the US. The ticket from Thailand to the US is very expensive. When I'm on the plane alone, it's quite a weird feeling because it's my first time with a long stay in a foreign country. I did everything in my power for my chance to study in another land. It's like this journey is ending. I took several proficiency tests for travelling to the US. I passed them. Then, I got a scholarship. My family are happy. I'm their pride. I succeed in hitting each target until I can sit on this plane, but for a while, I realize that I'm in the beginning of this story instead of the final phase. Actually, the journey is just starting.
Suvarnabhumi Airport (Bangkok) After I pass all processes in the airport, I walk into the airplane and find my seat. I hope there is a display screen for decreasing boredom on the long flight. Thank God, it has a screen to entertain me. I sit on my chair. I don’t talk with anyone much, but just eat brunch and watch some programs on the screen. I have to transfer at the Narita Airport in Tokyo. This flight takes 6 hours. This is my second time in Japan. The first time, I came here to visit my friend who worked in Nagoya. So, I used that chance to travel in Japan. Before I got off the plane, I start talking with a woman next to me. At the first time, I think she may be Chinese. I’m not sure. Every Asian looks the same. Someone said that I look like Japanese sometimes. Now I arrive at the Narita Airport. I have just 2 hours in the airport before starting a very long flight to Chicago in the US. What I should do within 2 hours to make me feel that I’m visiting Japan. I walk to a toilet. I think Japan is the only place which utilizes the high technology of flush toilet in almost all restrooms. It’s comfortable and a little bit strange because I can just push a button to make it clean. Then, I begin to be hungry, but food in the airport is not low priced. I still have some food in my bag. So, I eat it instead. There are a lot of interesting beverages which attract me in vending machines. I want to try everything, but it’s too much. I use some remaining Japanese coins from the previous trip to buy a small bottle of green tea. I wait in front of the gate for a while before I get on the plane. Then, the plane takes off.