The Adventure Began!

It was on this day, waaaay too early in the morning on February 22, 2003, that my brother took me - as well as the 2 bags and 2 carry-ons containing my life (and an assload of toiletries) - from his house to the Orlando International Airport for a 6:45 a.m. flight to New York, the first leg in my epic-length journey to Japan to get paid to play a character I looked nothing like.

I'd like to say my brother and I had a deep meaningful conversation when he dropped me off but it was bit closer to this:

"Dude, you're going to Japan!"
"I know, right??"
"Have fun, man!"
"Dude, I so am!"

I cocked an eyebrow in a wave. We exchanged grins. We gave each other a big, un-self-conscience brotherly bear hug and then he was off. That was when it all really began.

7 years ago today.

I can't believe it's been that long.

Anyway, I spent pretty much the next 24 hours in transit, most of it on the 13 and a half hour flight from JFK to Tokyo.

13 and a half hours is a long time. A loooooong, long time.

For some perspective, that's enough time to:

• Listen to the entire, unabridged audio book of Homer's "The Odyssey" (read by Sir Ian McKellen)
• Watch "Gone with the Wind" 3 times (with Overture, Exit music and Intermission)
• Watch 35 episodes of Friends. (That's all of Season 1 and nearly half of Season 2)
• go slightly mad from boredom

It was also during this flight that I shyly mumbled an arigato to a flight attendant. This would have been my first official use of Japanese, a language I'd have to perform a show in less than 2 weeks later.

7 years ago. Crazy.