✈️ Travel Day One and Two: Tears, Tylenol & a $3,500 Detour
- majordetourllc
- Jul 14, 2025
- 3 min read
We kicked off this trip the way all legendary adventures begin—completely unprepared, slightly unhinged, and powered solely by anxiety and caffeine.
None of us slept the night before. Slade waited until the very last minute to pack (teenagers: the real adrenaline junkies), while Michael and I were scrambling to tie up loose ends with work. I was also finishing up my Marine Corps League Adjutant duties—submitting a whopping 71 new members/renewals. I started at 7:30 PM. At 2:30 AM, I finally wrapped up, got in the shower, finished packing, and… discovered that my form didn’t save. Seven hours of work—gone. I cried. Like, actual, real, middle-of-the-night meltdown cried.
At 4:00 AM on July 12th (Happy Birthday to Me!), our Uber showed up right on time. Sleep-deprived and emotionally fragile, we headed to the airport. Our first flight was tight. But then—divine intervention. Michael and I spotted an empty exit row behind us, asked if we could move, and they said YES! Total game-changer. It gave Tara and Slade their own row, and Michael and I scored ours—with the middle seat gloriously unoccupied. Of course, Tara and Slade still squished together anyway… because young love.
We had a short layover in Minneapolis, then it was off to Japan! I’d like to say I’m a “nervous flyer,” but that’s generous. I’m more of a “convinced this plane is definitely going down” flyer. But surprisingly, it was a smooth, comfortable ride. We had two legit meals (hello, Mexican chicken and rice!) and the second was a warm egg Pastry thing that was actually pretty good—not gourmet, but it hit the spot. Drinks and snacks came around every 90 minutes like clockwork. I slept almost the entire flight—waking only to eat, because obviously, I have priorities.
Michael, Slade, and Tara dozed on and off. We landed in Tokyo at 12:05 PM on July 13th—a whole hour early. And the second we touched down, something clicked. Slade kept saying it felt like he was home. Michael and I felt this familiar, peaceful comfort—like seeing an old friend after years apart and picking up right where you left off.
We booked a van and headed straight to The New Sanno Hotel. It was just as beautiful as we remembered from a decade ago. Slade talked non-stop to Tara about how much he missed it here and how he’s definitely moving back.
Now, I know we technically sat for 13+ hours… but the walking through the airports? Brutal. By the time we made it to baggage claim in Tokyo, I had walked 3.611 miles (yes, I checked). My plan is to lose weight (that’s a whole other journey), but I didn’t think it would start with a forced airport marathon before I even had coffee.
When we arrived, the rooms weren’t ready (we were early), so… what else do you do while you wait? Coco’s Ichibanya. Obviously.
And yes—it was still amazing. They didn’t have the garlic naan or chicken teriyaki appetizer we used to love, but honestly, we didn’t even care. Tara liked the food too (win!), and we were just so happy to be there.
Back at the hotel, we finally checked in and got settled. I laid down “for a quick nap” at 3:30 PM… and woke up at 9:00 with a blinding migraine. I remembered my sister Coco gave me a travel first aid kit, so I downed four Tylenol and crashed again.
Meanwhile—while I was drooling into my pillow—Michael won $3,500 in the hotel’s slot machine room. Yes. You read that right. He put in $100 and walked away $3,500 richer. (He won $3,500. I had a migraine and a drool stain. If that doesn’t scream “Buy your wife a Louis Vuitton,” I don’t know what does.)
Tara and Slade went out and explored the neighborhood, snacked their way through the area, and took tons of pictures. We didn’t do anything on my carefully planned itinerary. But hey— I’ll take a $3,500 detour any day.
Some days give you exhaustion and tears. Others give you curry and casino winnings. Thanks for taking the detour with me—we’ll see what tomorrow brings.
Until the next detour,
—Kolleen
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