Totemo konde imasu! (It's very crowded)

I arrived in Tokyo station, and as I was warned beforehand, it was really crowded! Using the English signs, I found the line that would take me to Shinjuku, the lively section of Tokyo where I would be staying. When I got out of the station, it was still pouring rain, and I regretted not bringing my umbrella. I walked in the direction of the hotel, which a friendly Japanese station worker pointed out to me.

Japanese rain is weird. Atleast last night it was, because although it seemed to be raining very hard I didn’t seem to be getting very wet. I walked toward where I thought my hotel was, and the lights of the signs and buildings were becoming brighter and more extravagant, and I quickly realized I had no idea where I was. I looked at the crude map I had drawn on notebook paper, where I had written down a few US landmarks near the hotel– McDonalds, AM PM, although these were not helping very much.

With my two suitcases feeling heavier, my shoes becoming soaked, and still no umbrella, I was starting to feel discouraged. Every flashing neon sign around me was in Japanese, and I realized I didn’t even know how to get back to the train station.

Then I saw it – McDonalds! There have been many times in my life when I’ve been happy to see McDonalds, but probably none more than this one. I rushed pass the sign for the new “California Burger,” and found my hotel around the corner.