From Seattle to Tokyo: A Sleepless, Priority-Lane Adventure

 

After a whirlwind trip to Seattle, where we accomplished the near-impossible feat of seeing nearly every cousin, aunt, and uncle in existence, we packed up our tiny sleep angle (Joni) and boarded our 10.5-hour flight to Tokyo.

Now, before you ask, yes, we flew business class like the well-rested, responsible adults we aspire to be. And yes, Joni was an absolute angel, but in the most chaotic good way possible. She didn’t sleep a wink, but she also didn’t scream the plane down. Instead, she spent the flight charming flight attendants, cooing, and staring around at the new sights. She did have one fussy stretch (about 40 minutes, but who’s counting?), after which she mercifully settled, most likely because she knew she had more strategic sleep deprivation plans ahead…

Landing in Japan came with an unexpected perk: Priority lines! Turns out, having a baby in tow grants you VIP treatment at immigration. We waltzed past the long queues like celebrities with an entourage (of one tiny, jet-lagged curious Georgette). This would be our last moment of efficiency for the next 12 hours.

We arrived at Keio Plaza Tokyo late in the evening, and let me tell you, it’s spectacular. A panoramic city view from the top floors, a spacious room, and a general sense of luxury that made us feel completely unworthy in our sleep-deprived state. Of course, Joni immediately took a strategic nap in the car ride to the hotel, then continued sleeping peacefully while we set up the room.

And then…she woke up.

We’re going to call it “The Night of a Thousand Wake-Ups”

What followed can only be described as a psychological endurance challenge. Every two hours, Joni awoke with the strength of a thousand caffeinated samurai, determined to test the limits of our patience and willpower.

• 12:30 AM: Cute little whimpers. A quick feed, back to sleep.

• 2:30 AM: Slightly more serious fussing. Another feed. We remain optimistic.

• 4:30 AM: The true villain arc begins.

• 5:30 AM: We are broken.

Somewhere in this chaos, Emily and I managed to get enough micro-naps to function, but make no mistake: Joni won this round.

But tomorrow… Tokyo awaits. And while we may be running on sheer willpower and caffeine, we are ready for adventure. (Or at least, ready to see how long we can fake being well-rested before collapsing into a ramen coma.)

Stay tuned. The jet lagged exploration begins!