My Brother's Visit: Airport Chaos!

This morning Dom and I went to Narita Airport. He had reached the end of his 9 day stay here. It was very sad on the Limousine Bus from Kichijoji, but we knew it was only 12 weeks until I'm back in the UK. I can't believe I have such a short time left in Japan!

It was a very scenic route to the airport. We passed Tokyo Tower...



... and went over Rainbow Bridge.



And then, after getting up at 5am for the 2 hour bus trip, and paying Y3,000 (£20) each to get there, we find all flights to the UK, and most of Western Europe cancelled.



This wasn't the biggest surprise. We knew there was a risk of delays and cancellations because of the news the previous day. But we'd checked online before we left and there wasn't a problem at 6am. Somewhere en route they'd cancelled all the flights!

The cancellations were due to the Icelandic volcanic eruption, which happened two days ago. I knew about it, but didn't quite believe that we'd actually be affected by it so badly.

We were three hours early for the flight, so we started to queue up at the check-in desk and waited until they opened. We were only a few people from the front as we were there so early.

TBS News were interviewing people in the line, but Dom and I weren't asked to say anything, but I think I may have been in the background of one interview.

They opened the desks on time, but we still had to wait for about an hour until we got any information. They were taking people who had been cancelled on yesterday, but were sending anyone who hadn't missed a flight yet away, saying that all the nearby hotels were full and people should return to their previous accommodation. Bit of a tall order! But I suppose their hands were tied.

We were advised to change our bookings online or on the phone, and try to get another flight for when the airports re-open.

As the morning went on, the lines got huge as more and more people found their flights had been cancelled. But every was very well behaved and well-humoured, except for one Japanese woman who kept huffing and puffing next to us in the line. I expected the British people to be causing trouble!

Dom and I had a sandwich in a cafe, and then got on the train and braved the two and a half hour train journey home. We were both exhausted, and were not expecting to have to do that at all! I rang our Mum and let her know what was happening, but then couldn't get through on the phone to Virgin Atlantic's Tokyo office until the evening. I changed Dom's flight to Monday 26th April, which was the earliest available flight. I can't believe it! He's doubled his stay in Japan! And he'll miss some school, but I suppose he has the best excuse there is - stuck on the other side of the world because of a volcanic eruption! I find it so ironic that he came to Japan, one of the most volcanic countries in the world, and then can't go home because of volcanic ash over Britain!

Well, I suppose Dom will get a much better idea of Tokyo life - he's going to be here for a while!

It's now 22nd April, and the airports are all open again, after a week of total closure. What a huge mess! We really are at the mercy of nature... But fingers crossed everything goes smoothly for his flight home on Monday. Adding his visit with my family in 2008, he's now been in Japan for over a month in his life! Madness!

I think we were quite lucky to get a flight as early as the 26th, because I rang back a few days after the initial cancellation and they told me that apart from Dom's secured seat on the 26th, the earliest available flight was the 2nd May! I'm so glad I was persistant in ringing them all day.

It's been lovely having Dom in Japan for so much longer than we first expected, but I think he's quite looking forward to going home. I have to leave him alone for so many hours every day while I go to lessons he must be bored stiff!

Now I just hope that the volcano doesn't decide to let another burst of ash out as a little surprise for Europe again!

My Brother's Visit: Arrival

This morning I went to Narita Airport to pick up my youngest brother, Dominic. He's come to Japan for a ten-day holiday, to spend some time with me in Tokyo.

I spent the night on the sofa at my old house in Chuo-ku, because it's a lot closer to Narita Airport, and it meant I could get out of Tokyo without hitting any of the morning rush hour trains.

I didn't have a great night's sleep, about four hours, but that was all forgotten once I'd met him and we started chatting. We took the train back to my guesthouse, which takes between 2 and 2 and a half hours. But it seemed to go a lot quicker with him there.

It's so nice to have him here! I get on very well with my brothers, so it's like having a friend stay with me.

He's absolutely exhausted right now, and I'm quite tired, so we'll have an early night, and then we're going to Kamakura to see the big Buddha statue tomorrow with some friends from ICU. And it should be lovely because the cherry blossom is still in full bloom! (And this is the second time in my brother's life that he's seen Japan covered in blossom, because he came in Spring two years ago as well! Not many 15 year olds can say that they've done that, especially coming on their own the second time...)

And of course I can't wait for my 21st birthday on Friday!

200th Post Spectacular: I'm Home!

I'm at home!! I'm sitting in my bed with a cup of tea in my favourite mug that my mum brought to me, listening to Radio 1, amazed that I'm here.

Five days ago I didn't think I'd see my home or family for another ten months, but here I am, just like I've never been in Japan!

I got up at 5am yesterday (it really doesn't feel like it was yesterday...) and had breakfast, put the very last things in my suitcase, and then headed up to the station. It was only 10 minutes or so to Kichijoji, where I was catching the bus to Narita airport. At first I couldn't find where the bus left from, so I asked at a police box and they took me just round the corner and I saw a long line of people waiting for the bus to arrive.

I saw the guy from ICU who I spoke to after getting my re-entry permit earlier in the week in the line and I chatted to him before joining the back. The bus came about five minutes later and it was exactly the same process as the Airport Limousine buses I got from Narita last year, show the man the ticket and tell him which terminal you're going to, get a receipt for the luggage and then get on and find a seat. It was actually an Odakyu bus, but it was doing the Airport service.

It was timetabled to take two hours, but it was more like an hour and a half, which was good. We went through Shinjuku and I saw the skyscaper district from a distance, which was an amazing view, seeing the buildings suddenly shoot up from the low-rise surroundings. Then we headed east to Ginza and I saw my old house from last year from the bridge over Sumida River!

At the airport, it was very easy to get through check-in and customs, and then I had a second breakfast in the same ramen restaurant near my gate that I ate at when I left Japan last August. It was very nostalgic!

My plane boarded at 10.30 and then left early at about 11am. I had checked-in online, so I'd chosen a seat near an emergency exit that didn't have a seat in front of it, so I had loads of legroom!

The flight went okay, and it didn't seem to take long, which was very welcome, as it was a 12 hour and 15 minute flight. I watched Independence Day, which I've seen about 15 times, but I can't resist watching it if I have the opportunity! And then I tried to sleep, but it didn't happen. I can never sleep on planes unless I'm really really tired.

There was a bit of turbulence over Europe, which wasn't very fun, but it only lasted about 25 minutes or so. And then I was back in Britain! I was staring out of the window with wide eyes at the British countryside, and then the Thames River and the Houses of Parliament as we came in to land.

There were no problems at Arrivals, but my baggage did take a while to come out onto the carousel. Apparently there was a security issue which delayed them, and I was praying it wasn't my bag, but thankfully it wasn't!

And then I came out and met my mum. It was wonderful! We had a long hug and then got some coffee and went to the car. I was really tired but it was a lovely drive home to Birmingham through the British countryside. It's so British!

We went straight to my old school for a quiz night where my youngest brother was doing a performance. I don't think I was any help with the answers, but it was fun. It was such a nice reunion with the rest of my family as well. People were staring at the many long hugs going on!

And then we went home and had a bit of dinner. I was so tired I couldn't really take in being in my home again, but it was so nice. So amazing to be back.

And then, after 26 hours of being awake, I could finally rest! And now here I am, in bed at home. Now I think I'll have some of my favourite cereal and watch some TV on our new sofas, before having fish and chips (so British) from our local chip shop for dinner and then going to my gran and grandad's house for the night with my dad.

The dream has begun!

Japanese Re-Entry Permit

Because I'm leaving Japan but returning on the same visa, I need a re-entry permit (再入国許可, sainyuukoku kyoka) otherwise the visa would automatically be cancelled when I leave the country and when I come back it would only be on a tourist visa. This is true for student visas and working holiday visas, and probably work visas as well.

In order to get the re-entry permit, I had to go to my closest Regional Immigration Bureau (入国管理局, nyuukoku kanrikyoku), which thankfully wasn't too far away, in Tachikawa (立川). Last year I went to the other one in Tokyo, which was in the middle of nowhere in Shinagawa. Every area in Japan will have one of these Immigration Bureaus, but unfortunately if you live outside of the major cities, you may have to travel quite far to get to one. It's lucky that Tokyo has two!

To apply for a re-entry permit you need:

- an application form (available at the Immigration Bureau)
- passport with your Japanese visa inside
- Alien Card (外国人登録証明書, gaikokujin tourokushoumeisho, or just gaikokujin tourokusho)
- a special stamp (available at convenience stores)
- fee (Y3,000 for single re-entry, or Y6,000 for multiple)

So this morning I spoke to Wynne, an American girl who's in my class at ICU, and also lives in the same guesthouse as I do, because she went through the re-entry permit process a few weeks ago.

I went to my local city office (市役所, shiyakusho) to get a map and then took the train to Tachikawa. Following the instuctions on the map they gave me, I took the bus from stand #12 of the North exit of Tachikawa station bound for (北町, Kita-machi) and went to the 多摩車検場前 (Tama Shakenjou-mae) stop. The automatic announcements for this stop were in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean, so obviously a lot of foreigners go there!

In order to get the re-entry permit you have to buy a special type of stamp from a convenience store. I found this very strange, but never mind, who am I to argue with the Japanese immigration laws! All the nearby shops seemed to sell the stamps, so I just went into one and asked for a 再入国許可のスタンプ (sainyuukoku kyoka no sutampu). I don't know if that was the correct way to ask in Japanese but they understood and asked if I wanted one for Y3,000 or Y6,000. The Y3,000 ones are for a single re-entry, which means you can leave Japan and come back once and continue using the same visa. The Y6,000 is for multiple re-entry, so you can leave and come back as many times as you want. This is the one I went for, because it's the same price as two singles, and I intend to go to China next year, and then if I go anywhere else I can do it without paying any extra money.

After buying the stamp, I asked the shop assistant where the Immigration Bureau was and she pointed me in the right direction. Once I was on that road it was clearly signed and only took about two minutes. It was quite a small building, with a foyer and a room to the right with a waiting area, a desk with three clerks serving people, and some tables with files of forms.

I took a form for re-entry permits and started to fill it in, when I realised that I should have taken a slip of paper from the ticket machine to lessen my waiting time. It took me a while to find the machine, but I knew there must be one because there was a screen with numbers being called. It turned out to be on the main desk, so I took one and I was 128, the number being served was 97. I finished filling out the form and sat down.

Two hours later I was served. I didn't mind the wait, because I know how frustrating bureaucracy can be, so I was patient.

The clerk asked to see my application form, passport, Alien Card and then asked me to affix the stamp to the form and sign it.

He then stuck a label in my passport, stapled a form into it and that was it. A whole two minutes! So it was quite an easy process, it just took a long time. I have to fill in the first section of the form stapled into my passport for when I leave Japan, and then the second section for when I return.

After getting the permit, I then walked back to the bus stop and waited for the bus back to Tachikawa station. Then a guy from Bangladesh started talking to me, because he said he recognised me from ICU! He was a graduate student and he had been in the Immigration Bureau getting a re-entry permit because he was returning home the same day as me! Our flights are 10 minutes apart and he's also getting a Limousine bus from Kichijoji on the same morning as me! We might be on the same bus, but I think I might be on the one before him. It was such a coincidence! Who knows, I might bump into him on Thursday!

When I got back I rang the Limousine bus company and officially reserved my ticket. It was my first phone conversation entirely in Japanese, and it was very scary! But I muddled through and, if I understood everything correctly, I have to go to Musashi Sakai before 2pm tomorrow and pick up the ticket. So I'll combine a trip to Higashi Koganei to pay my next month's rent tomorrow morning with picking it up.

And then on Wednesday I can check-in online in the morning, and then I'll cycle into ICU to use their printers and print my boarding pass. I'll also see if they have sorted out my work permit application so I can pick that up. Then in the afternoon I'll pack, and then get up at 5am on Thursday and fly back home!

It's all incredible! I really can't believe it's happening! I think the next post I write will be from Birmingham, probably when I wake up in my own bed, in my own room, in my own country! Wow, it's going to be amazing...

A Sudden Change in Plans!

Well here's a big surprise!

My exams finished on Friday, and that started a two and a half week school holiday. I was really relieved to finally have my exams all out of the way.

Then I was talking to my parents on Skype on Saturday evening and they surprised me by saying that they were going to pay for a flight home for this break! As you can imagine, I was completely overwhelmed! I didn't think I'd be going home for ten months!

But now, the flight is booked and I'm going home on Thursday morning for 12 nights! I can't get my head around it... But I'm so excited! I'll see my family, and my home, and my friends, and I'll be sure to go back to Cadbury World and see people I used to work with. And it coincides with a trip to my grandparents' house in Wiltshire, and also our annual family trip to Norfolk where we meet up with my mum's side of the family.

It will be incredible - I can't wait!

So now I have three days to sort everything out and pack, and then on Thursday morning I'm getting up early and heading off to Narita Airport! How amazing is that!?

Flights, Accommodation & Insurance

I know this post's title is a bit "can't be bothered to do separate posts for each" but I thought it would be better to do one long one than three short ones.

I booked my flights about a month ago using Gendai Travel, which is a travel agent based in London that specialises in cheap flights to different cities in Japan. You can't book online, so I rang them up and spoke to a very nice Korean woman who helped me get on the same flight as the four other people from Leeds University who I'm flying out with.

The return flight cost £545 with Japan Airlines (JAL) and we leave on the afternoon of Wednesday 26th August from London Heathrow, arriving just after noon at Tokyo Narita. It's about a 12 hour flight, which will be trying! But the five of us will be very excited and chatting the whole way there so it should be fine. The price is very good so we were lucky to find them quite close to the departure date.

The only problem with the flights is that the hold baggage allowance is only 20kg, and the cabin allowance is 10kg. So if I can't fit everything I'll need for the year into those two bags, I'll have to ship some things out.

For accommodation, the two other people from Leeds Uni going to ICU, two others going to the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS), which is the next-door university, and I, are going to stay in a guesthouse. I stayed in a guesthouse last time I went to Japan, where you have a private bedroom, and then share bathroom and kitchen facilities with the other residents. The guesthouse was recommended by a student who did an exchange with ICU last year, and the company is called Tokyo Artistic Guesthouse. We researched and thought that they had a good price and they had lots of choice in terms of location. We reserved five rooms in the one closest to both ICU and TUFS, in Koganei City (小金井市), online, and it was very easy to do it all with the online reservation form. There was a special offer on at the time and it will cost about Y60,000 per month, which is Y20,000 cheaper than the one I stayed in last year, but of course that one was much more central than this one.

We could have applied for University accommodation, either on or off campus, but we had heard that Japanese University dorms are very strict in terms of curfews and not having people in your rooms, and you also most likely have to share a room with another student. I don't mind sharing a room with someone else for a short time, and it would be lovely to get to know someone that well, but I feel I need more privacy than that set-up would provide. The others felt the same way, so we decided to go for the private option.

And finally, insurance! I looked around a little bit for different policies, but then the University of Leeds offered us their own, which cost only £50 and was very comprehensive. It was good and cheap so I went for that one. It only covers me for one year, so I have to leave Japan before 25th August 2010.

So that's it! Quite a bit of information, but at least it's all sorted now. I need to keep working at Cadbury World and finishing my list of things to do before I leave in just three weeks and three days! Eeek!

Packing and the Flight

I am now at the end of my fifth day here in Tokyo, and I have been so busy sorting things out and settling in that my blog has had to take a bit of a back-seat. But it's finally taken up it's back-seat driving ways and has reared his head again. So I'll start from where I left off...

My last few days at home in the UK were really quite manic. There were so many last minute things to sort out, so many jobs left unfinished, so many bags needing to be packed...
But I got it all done, through the magic of lists and planning each day's activities (very sad I know but it gets the job done).

For anyone planning to do something similar, the following list should be useful, if not, then it's probably best just to skip it.

What I packed:

In my laptop bag:
Webcam
Headphones
Ethernet cable (for wired connection at Sakura House)
Laptop and power supply
Memory stick

In my rucksack: (my rucksack was my hand/ cabin luggage. BA gave me a limit of one (they changed it to two the following day) bag weighing 5kg and measuring 56cm x 45cm x 25cm. The weight wasn't really an issue, as long it fit the size restrictions and you could lift it into the overhead storage space without help, it was fine)
Japanese course (see How to Teach Yourself Japanese)
Japan: A Working Holiday Guide by Louise Southerden
DK Japan Travel Guide
Leaflets about Japan (I collected these from the Japan National Tourist Organisation (JNTO) in London - in particular a fold-out map of Tokyo, a Limousine bus guide, NTT Docomo information and a Tokyo subway guide.
Game Boy (very retro but it will keep me entertained)
Slumber mask
Ear plugs
Pens & paper
Handfan (for the heat and humidity of summer)
Smints
Photocopies of important documents (e.g. passport, visa, flight itinerary)
Laptop bag

Suitcase: (this was over BA's limit of 23kg per bag but because of their baggage restrictions, you can check a piece of hold luggage in if it's up to 32kg. From November 2008 there will be a charge of £25 if you go over 23kg but for me it was free! You can't check in a bag (only one allowed) if it's over 32kg though so I'm glad mine was 26kg. The maximum dimensions could add up to 158cm at the most.)
3 casual tops
5 casual T-shirts
3 casual shirts
3 casual trousers
2 work jackets (I bought these in the Christmas sales)
3 work shirts (long-sleeved as the Japanese only wear short in August)
3 work trousers
1 pair of shorts
8 pairs of socks
5 pairs of underwear
Toothpaste
Japanese-UK plug adaptor (doesn't alter voltage, you'd need a transformer to do that - they are expensive and bulky, so I didn't bother. Japan operates on 100V so UK appliances (240V) run very slowly (my mobile needs 13 hours to charge here) but North American appliances (110V) should be fine.
Torch (in case of earthquakes/ powercuts)
2 belts
4-way adaptor for all my gadgets
Business cards (these are not essential but it has been said that you don't exist in Japan if you don't have a meishi/ business card and mine are very pretty!)
2 toothbrushes
Comb
Mini-shampoo, body wash etc.
Body puff
Shaving stuff
Deoderant (apparently this is hard to get hold of in Japan)
2 towels
Waterproof trousers (rainy season (tsuyu) is from mid-May to mid-June)
Gloves, scarf and hat (I haven't needed these so far and it is mid-January so maybe not needed if you're sticking to Tokyo or the South/ West, but definitely recommended for higher altitudes and any further North/ East)
Lightweight coat (Japan is generally quite humid so light clothes will do well)
Batteries
Tissues (although don't blow your nose in public, sniff yes, but do not blow!)
Plasters and medicine (you might not be able to get hold of medicines you want in Japan)
3 business ties
Sunglasses (I thought it would be wishful thinking to bring suntan lotion but apparently it is difficult to get high quality stuff here in Japan and anywhere South/ West of Tokyo can hit 40C in summer so be prepared!)
Swimming shorts
Penknife (make sure it's in your HOLD luggage, not your hand/ cabin luggage - it will be confiscated!)
Copies of my CV/ resume
Books
Sentimental things to remind you of home e.g. family photo, favourite toy (these can also be good conversation starters in English lessons!)

What I wore on the plane:
Jeans
T-shirt
Comfortable zip hoodie
Trainers
Coat

Well that concludes the first half of this post. Now, on to the flight!

My family all drove down to London's Heathrow airport to wave me off. Another contingent drove up from Wiltshire as well so I had a full entourage at the departure gate.

I had checked-in online the previous day on BA's website, but other airlines probably offer the same service. I heartily recommend that you do this. At first I thought "No, it's too much hassle. Too many things to do before you've even got to the airport!" But if you don't do it online, then you have to do it at a touch-screen with a queue behind you anyway. Plus, as you can check-in from 24 hours before your flight, you can see what seat you've been allocated and change it if you want to. You then print your Boarding Pass, it can be in black-and-white or full colour, or if you don't have a printer, you can still check-in online and they print it for you at the airport!

So we arrived and I was extremely nervous. I kept going over everything that could go wrong in my mind, every little detail, but most of all, the thought that I WAS LEAVING HOME! I was leaving my family, friends and country for the first time in my life. I'd said my goodbyes the night before; if any of you have seen the episode of 'Friends' where Rachel says goodbye to the group the night before she was going to fly to Paris, then you'll understand.

I collected the yen I had pre-ordered online from the Travelex desk. Money Saving Expert.com says that this is one of the best rates on foreign currency exchange you can get so it's worth it.

Then we sat in Wetherspoons and waited for more of the family to arrive. They came soon after we did and we all had lunch (I only had a little bit, my stomach was all over the place) and drinks. They gave me some letters and a couple of extra lovely sentimental things, which I have on my desk or in the bookcase.
All too soon, 13.30 came and I knew it was time to leave them.

We went down to the departure gate and my Aunt asked someone if this was the right one for Tokyo. It was. My nerves close to imploding, I turned to them all. I knew I couldn't say goodbye again, it would cause too much of a scene. I hugged every one of them tightly and I think everyone had at least a tear in their eye. Some had several! But, as hard as it was to leave them, I knew I had to do it. So I picked up my bag and went through the Boarding Pass checking gate. Then I wound my way through the barriers until I reached the end of the queue for the Security Checks. I turned back and waved to them every time the queue's path allowed me to. And they were there, waving, until the last corner, and then they (or I, depending on your viewpoint) were gone.

Security went without a hitch for once, I always set those things off! I had to take my shoes, belt and coat off and put them in separate trays. I also had to remove my laptop bag from my rucksack and put that in its own tray. Everyone had quite a few trays each!

Then, it was a hurried walk to Gate 30, where my flight was on its Last Call. I spent as much time as possible with my family, and it turns out that I timed it just right. Except I didn't think I had time to buy a bottle of water, when in fact I did. The man in front of me was upgraded and I crossed my fingers (wouldn't that be a great start to a gap year trip?! "Excuse me Sir, we've upgraded you to First Class. Champagne?") Only in my dreams...

There was no problem getting on and I found my seat easily - 30C, an aisle seat. I wanted an aisle seat because I'm quite tall (6'2'') and, although I enjoy the view from the window, I enjoy the use of my legs more. I sat down and tried to get comfortable. It wasn't too bad. My coat and rucksack were stored safely in the overhead compartment and I was ready for take-off. Unfortunately the plane wasn't. My 14.35 flight left at about 15.15 so I had plenty of time to text family and friends to let them know I was on the plane safely and would let them know how I got on when I landed in 12 hours. I knew it would be the last time I used that phone to ring or text for quite a long time because only 3G quad-band phones work in Japan. Check with your retailer if you're unsure if it will or not. Although someone said mine would, and they were wrong... Dead wrong...
I hope that person hasn't randomly died, otherwise I'm probably going to prison...

Then the flight commenced. We were off and everything was fine. I tried not to think about the upcoming hardships and trials. I knew there would be many, and probably quite soon, but I didn't want to worry myself. I wanted to live in the moment (easier said that done I know, but I've tried to adopt that here and it's worked well so far). So I enjoyed being able to watch Ugly Betty, The Simpsons, Joey and Casino Royale on my personal touch-screen TV. I tried to sleep halfway through but it just wasn't happening. I was too worked up and my bodyclock wasn't right to sleep then. So I rested my eyes for a few minutes.

All the toilets on the left-hand side of the plane were out of order due to the extreme cold conditions outside in the air and on the ground. In the air it was about -60C. Which is COLD! I enjoyed plotting our progress on the moving interactive map on the screen too. But I'm a bit of a Geography-geek like that.

All too soon for my liking, we were over Northern Japan, and then Kanto, and then Tokyo, and then Chiba, and then we were descending on Narita Airport.

Narita is easily the strangest airport I've ever been in. It was so calm and quiet. There were hardly any people. Immigration was very easy. They took my fingerprints and photograph, as they've started doing with all foreigners now and stamped my visa and did all the things they had to do, then let me through.

Then I made my way down to the carousel to collect my bag. I was dreading seeing it split open because, despite re-arranging the contents a couple of times, the zips appeared to be quite strained when we did it up, but it was absolutely fine. I wheeled it over to one of the Customs desks (I wasn't sure which one to go to so i queued for a green 'In Duty-free Limit' one and that seemed fine). We had been given landing cards and a Customs card to fill in on the plane so I just handed that over.

Then I wheeled myself and my bags out of the doors and into Japan.

Barcelona (Part One)

Last week I went to Barcelona.

It was like an independance trip, I'd done London by myself before and I wanted to fit in a short trip abroad before Japan to give myself some experience of flying and travelling alone. As I found out that I would finish work earlier than I first thought in October, I booked a cheap holiday that night using Last Minute.com. I thought that was the best way to bounce back.

An all-inclusive deal including flights and accommodation to the Costa Brava about 90km north of Barcelona cost me £150. I wanted to do the whole thing for less than £250 as, after all, I am saving to fly half-way across the world for several months next year.

I had arranged the whole thing in October, a month in advance. Unfortunately, I was flying from East Midlands not Birmingham and the flight was at 6.30am on Monday morning. There was no public transport that early so I had to get to the airport late on Sunday evening and spend the night there.

I had booked a coach with National Express to Coventry, then another (90 minutes later) to East Midlands airport.

I left home at about 7.00pm (trains were cancelled so my dad and youngest brother drove me into the centre of Birmingham to Digbeth coach station) to catch a 19.30 coach. And, what a shock, it was snowing! It had been raining all day and when the temperature dropped, it just turned to snow. We all thought it wouldn't settle, it never snows in mid-November! But it became heavier and heavier and our garden was covered in white very quickly. It was very atmospheric waving goodbye to my mum in the snow like a scene from some cheesy movie.

We drove in, the snow pounding the front windscreen - this is incredible! After a long goodbye at the car, I take my suitcase and writer's bag (it's basically a black shoulder bag but it looks writer-ish) into the temporary coach station across the road from Digbeth. They are renovating it at long-last because it's hardly a great advert for Birmingham, if that's what thousands of people see of it when they arrive.

You can see what Digbeth should look like when it's all finished here.

Anyway, I go into this huge freezing cold hall with rows of seats and screens around the walls. And of course, all the coaches are delayed because of the snow. Great. I sit down in front of a screen and watch my coach, 19.30 to Coventry. It's delayed til 19.50, well that's okay. It's about 19.15 and there's a long wait ahead of me anyway, it's just a different environment (albeit a very cold one) to sit in getting bored.

About ten minutes later, I realise that I've forgotten my packed midnight snack that I made for the airport and left it in the car. I ring Dad to check where he is and thankfully, he'd gone to buy some pudding and wasn't too far away. He came back with it (thank you!) and I ran out to collect it. On my way, I saw my coach (the 538 service to Coventry) pull in. Yay! Shouldn't be too long now. I said another goodbye and thank you, then ran back in. I checked the screen and it wasn't boarding yet. I assumed they must be still re-fueling or whatever. I quickly went to the toilet, don't you just love it when you have to pay 20p for the luxury of weeing? I came back out and the screen announced that my coach was delayed again til 20.01. Never mind, maybe there's a problem. I sat back down, realising that the huge clocks they had were the same as the one in my kitchen. Wow. Exciting things to think about.

Then, at about 19.55 the screen changed and said 'Go to Gate A'. Finally, I'm off. I jumped up and ran to Gate A. Hmm, no one there. I looked up at another screen. My coach wasn't on there. Hmmm. That's not good news. I ran back to the Information desk and the guy there said that my coach left 15 minutes ago.

This took a while to sink in. Great. The first leg of my journey and it had already fallen apart. I went to an Express Ticket machine and saw that there were no more coaches to Coventry that night, and no more from Coventry to East Midlands airport after 21.40 - the one I was booked on. I rang Mum to ask for advice. She said she'll ring me back. I considered a taxi or local bus. But there was no guarantee that either of those would get me there in time because of the snow.

Mum rang me back and said that she'll pick me up and take me to Coventry bus station. I'm hopeful again. I sat back down and waited, the man at the desk said that there had been an announcement for my coach. Was I outside collecting my food? In the toilet? Either way, they announced a bus to London at least four times, obviously Coventry just isn't as popular as London. Can't think why...

Mum picked me up at 20.45 and we get driving. Dad looked up directions on the internet and texted them to us.

I felt so bad that I missed the coach, but am adamant that the only thing I did wrong was not double-checking with someone that the screen was telling the truth. But, it's a lesson learned. Always check things with someone!!! Anyway, why did the screen say it was leaving in ten minutes if it left 15 minutes ago. How annoying...

By then, the snow had become a blizzard and we were finding it hard to find the bus station. We had 55 minutes and we were nowhere near Coventry. We followed the directions until the Ring Road, where we realised that we didn't know which direction to take. Left or right? We rang Dad and he said we should take the first option. Left then. Naturally we had gone right but no matter, we found the right road and then signs to the bus station.

We were both so relieved to have made it on time. I went in to ask where the National Express coaches arrive and depart and... oh my god, that place was hell. Much worse than Digbeth. Digbeth coach station is the Ritz compared to Coventry's so-called 'Pool Meadow'. If you can avoid it, definitely steer clear. Shudder...

I asked a staff member and he told me where to go. As I was asking, some random Chav shoved me from behind and then walked away. The people were as nice as the place!

Mum came in with my bags (and food!) and waited with me. Then, 10 minutes late, which I think I'll forgive, the coach arrived. I was so relieved and said a second goodbye to Mum before clambering aboard. It was warm! WARM! It was easily the most comfortable coach I've ever been on. And it was very empty. It arrived at EMA 20 minutes late but I didn't care in the slightest, it was so comfortable.

I walked into the airport and found all the benches full of sleeping travellers. I settled into Ritazza near the security check with a large Decaff (just in case) Cappuccino and started reading.

It was going to be a looong night...