When we got to Narita airport we were so turned around. We were determined to take a train into Tokyo but of course we were overwhelmed with the options. Didn't know what ticket kiosk to use, or how much it cost, or even what train we needed to get on. Haha, the directions I had printed from the hotel indicated a couple of different trains we would need to get to the hotel...and a couple of different lines that could get us there, but there was no clear way to identify which train we actually needed to depart from at the airport.

I had read online that it was easiest to use the Passmo card while in Tokyo. It acted like a debit card and allowed you to easily get on a number of different train lines while traveling through Tokyo without having to worry about needing different fares or pay stubs. I liked the idea of it being seamless since it seemed like we would be using the trains a lot during our visit.

Trying to find where to buy Passmo though, and how much to put on the card proved difficult. It didn't help that when we got down to the train section a woman told us that one of the trains that we [might] want to get on was leaving in three minutes. I wanted to do things right and get my bearings....but trying to work on a three minute deadline was just too stressful.

Jeff and I decided to just take our time and try to figure things out and if we made the train --great, and if not, then we would get the next one.

We got the next one.

Haha, in the hour we sat waiting for the next train to come we actually had no idea what we were doing. I spent most of the time studying the train map....which seemed beautiful and mysterious and not at all helpful.

I love maps. I've actually always been fascinated with them. I especially love old world maps. Unfortunately, I am not good at geography or even just simply reading maps as a directional tool. I remember in elementary school having to read keys or use a map to point out directions and the thought of it still terrifies me. I see a lot of pretty lines and pictures and they just seem to float about on the page. Meaningless.

I like words. Nice, simple words that follow a sentence. A map, a picture....I just stare at them without really being able to understand. On a completely unrelated note I think I'm the only person who never did see any of those Magic Eye images!

Anyway, so I'm staring at the train map and while I can see "airport" and I can see one of the stations the hotel listed in its directions...I have no way of connecting the two. Jeff and I are just sitting and waiting for a train....that we think will get us into Tokyo. There is a major stop that we hope will allow us to transfer to another train that we need, but in all reality...we have no idea where the train we're [waiting] for is actually going to take us.

It's kind of stressful. Haha.

But, we made it. I spent the first 45 minutes on the train ride in, staring at the map. At each stop I would frantically search the map trying to locate it. NOTHING! I kept thinking hmmmm, this has to take us somewhere identifiable, right?!

The relief I felt when I had my "you are here" moment?

Priceless!