Each morning, I wake up and begin a journey of adventure and adrenaline. Most Americans refer to this phenomenon as a "commute."
I have been spoiled by living on Grounds during the past two years; my commute always revolved around a simple 10-minute walk to class or on the occasional chilly day, a five-minute bus ride. No real challenge at all.
But now in my third year and studying abroad in Tokyo - the world's largest city with a population of more than 35 million - my Japanese commute is not as comfortable as my Charlottesville one. Because the school is quite a distance from my dormitory, every morning I compete with several million people trying to get from the outskirts of the city to their desired destinations.
The alarm rings at 7 a.m., and the countdown begins. I have one hour to shower, get dressed, eat breakfast and catch the train. Time quickly passes, and I dart out of my dormitory to get to the station. Thankfully, I live within walking distance of my station, Musashi-Koganei. As I round a few corners and go down alleys, the number of people I begin to pass increases dramatically. One, three, 10, 35. Soon, I am immersed in nothing but business suits and school uniforms.
I am presented with my first challenge upon arriving at the station: entering it. No matter the time of day, people are always pouring out of the station. The staircase I need to climb looks like a cascade
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